Quotelawrence

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

The things that really touch my Heart during this emotional time of the Years
(1) My Sobriety ( and with it the group of Friends and Acquaintances that Encourage and Strengthen Me day after day)
(2) My Family ( I am once again in Colorado and with this beautiful Blessing I am reminded of the Enjoyment and Love, I have come to witness between Us, All,)
(3) My Mom ( I have overcome the feelings of disappointment which I am sure My Mother has felt and lived with due to my wrong decisions, though she continues to Love and Encourage and Hopes for the Family to overcome Our difficulties, Love You Mom,)
(4) My Daughter ( Emily whom I have been estranged with over the Years, yet currently I am reaching out in ways and means I had never thought possible I love you Emily and I am so grateful to know you have done so good, I am very proud.)
(5) My Job ( I am so grateful for the chance to be part of a group which is feeling more and more like a Family)
(6) I have so many things to be grateful for and I am merely scratching the surface when I thank God for the chance to notice all of the opportunities.

Today 10/17/2011

2011-10-17T04:32:00.000-07:00

I am changing my course I don't think I will post any more recovery or religious writings, today is my Birthday.
I will be slightly distracted until I take care of my responsibilities, but I think after that I will post my thoughts on the Country and Politics and the state of Our Nation, and the State of Communist China. With Our leaders more interested in getting re-elected Communist China has been growing economically faster then any Country in the history of the World, their claim to fame can only be attributed though because America has allowed it's once thriving industries to move to Communist China, and I ask as many Americans must be asking "and how is this aiding America", this will be the direction of my thoughts, thanks for the time you have spent here on my Blog.

Upper Room

2011-10-14T04:29:00.000-07:00

Other Plans

Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord says, "I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you."

Isaiah 41:9 (NIV)

IN today's reading God sent Samuel to find Israel's king. Samuel was looking for a man of human power and strength, but God was looking for a different kind of leader. God chose David, a shepherd with no leadership experience. Though David's father and brothers saw him as too young for anything but tending sheep, God saw him differently.
I've spent some time on the sidelines too. Once I applied for a pastoral position. After reading through the qualifications and requirements for the job, I prayed about it and submitted the necessary documents. I was interviewed, and soon after I received a letter of rejection. I later learned that my age and inexperience had cost me the job. The days following that rejection were painful and dark. But I learned a lot about myself, and I never stopped believing that God had something better for me. "The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" (l Sam. 16:7, nrsv).
Whenever we are rejected, we can remember David. His family saw only a sheepherder, but God saw a king. What does God see in you?

The Author

Jason Mills (Ontario, Canada)

Thought for the Day

No matter how people see us, God can use us for good.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help us to trust you when we feel abandoned, lonely, or rejected. Grant us hope to see the future possibilities instead of the present disappointment and rejection. Thank you for choosing us as your own. Amen.

Prayer focus Those looking for a job

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-14T04:28:00.000-07:00

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. (Galatians 3:23 NRSV Bible)

Who is it that tells us we are ugly? It may surprise you to know the scriptural answer to that question. According to Paul, it is the law that tells us we are ugly. Listen to his words: "Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed." Earlier in this same chapter Paul calls the law "a curse." Why? Why would he say that? Because under the law we are all failures. Who among us can ever keep the law perfectly? The answer is, none of us. Not a single one of us could possibly fulfill all the law's requirements. The law provides for us a standard that is unattainable. And even if we were able to keep the law without any deviation, we would probably be guilty of spiritual pride. We would conclude that we are better than other people--and that may be the deadliest sin of all. It's a lose/lose situation.
A sign at a railroad crossing read, "The average time for the train to pass this crossing is 14 seconds, whether your car is on the track or not."
Life happens. Stuff happens. Trains cross the intersections! But, life can be a win/win through the grace that Jesus Christ offers to each of us. We don't have to measure up. Christ already has!

Dear God, I am grateful that I don't have to measure up to you on my own. Yes, Jesus is my savior. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-14T04:27:00.001-07:00

My Checklist, Not Yours

Gossip barbed with our anger, a polite form of murder by character assassination, has its satisfactions for us,too. Here we are not trying to help those we criticize; we are trying to proclaim our own righteuousness.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.67

Sometimes I don't realize that I gossiped about someone until the end of the day, when I take an inventory of the day's activities, and then, my gossiping appears like a blemish in my beautiful day. How could I have said something like that? Gossip shows its ugly head during a coffee break or lunch with business associates, or I may gossip during the evening, when I'm tired from the day's activities, and feel justified in bolstering my ego at the expense of someone else.

Character defects like gossip sneak into my life when I am not making a constant effort to worl the Twelve Steps of recovery. I need to remind myself that my uniqueness is the blessing of my being, and that applies equally to everyone who crosses my path in life's journey. Today the only inventory I need to take is my own. I'll leave judgement of others to the Final Judge-- Divine Providence.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-14T04:26:00.001-07:00

Friday, October 14, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Controlling Versus Trust

There was a time in my life when I felt so afraid of and overwhelmed by the very act of living that I actually wanted to make out a schedule for each day of my life for the next five years. I wanted to include all the chores I had to do, when I would do them, even when I would schedule relaxation. I wanted to get some order into what felt overwhelming. I wanted to feel like I was in control.
—Anonymous

Controlling is a direct response to our fear, panic, and sense of helplessness. It is a direct response to feeling overwhelmed, and to distrust.

We may not trust ourselves, our Higher Power, the Plan, the Universe, or the process of life. Instead of trusting, we revert to control.

We can approach this need to control by dealing with our fear. We deal with fear by trusting - ourselves, our Higher Power, the love and support of the Universe, the Plan, and this process we call life and recovery.

We can trust that when things don't work out the way we want, God has something better planned.

We can trust ourselves to get where we need to go, say what we need to say, do what we need to do, know what we need to know, be who we need to be, and become all we can become, when we are intended to do that, when we are ready, and when the time is right.

We can trust our Higher Power and the Universe to give us all the direction we need.

We can trust ourselves to listen, and respond, accordingly.

We can trust that all we need on this journey shall come to us. We will not get all we need for the entire journey today. We shall receive today's supplies today, and tomorrow's supplies tomorrow. We were never intended to carry supplies for the entire journey. The burden would be too heavy, and the way was intended to be light.

Trust in yourself. We do not have to plan, control, and schedule all things. The schedule and plan have been written. All we need to do is show up.

The way will become clear and the supplies will be amply and clearly provided, one day at a time.

Trust, my friend, in today.

Today, I will trust that I will receive all I need to get me through today. I will trust that the same shall happen tomorrow.

Upper Room

2011-10-13T04:41:00.000-07:00

Depend on God

Read Lamentations 3:17-26

The Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:5 (NRSV)

WHEN I was 17, my parents divorced. My mother moved out and left me to live with my father, who had a hard time dealing with the divorce. I felt overwhelmed by emotional turmoil, both my parents' and my own. I was alone, with no one to depend on.
After following a self-destructive path for some time, I turned to God in desperation and asked God to help, save, and heal me. That was over 20 years ago; and with each new day, I am grateful for God's faithfulness.
Over time, I've learned to understand and accept that the people I love, care about, and trust will disappoint me -- sometimes deeply. I also know that despite my best intentions, I will sometimes disappoint them as well. However, God has never disappointed me. I know I can depend on God, who is faithful. Because God is faithful, I no longer feel overwhelmed, disillusioned, and alone. Safe in God's love, I am healed and wholly blessed.

The Author

Susan Driscoll (New Jersey, USA)

Thought for the Day

People inevitably disappoint us, but God never will.

Prayer

Dear God, help us to see how great your love is for us. Teach us to depend on you, to trust in you, and to treasure and proclaim your faithfulness. Amen.

Prayer focus Children living in divorced families

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-13T04:39:00.001-07:00

She... began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. (Luke 7:38 NRSV Bible)

Robert Falconer was once witnessing among the destitute people in a certain city. He read to them the story of the woman who wiped Jesus' feet with her tears. While he was reading he heard a loud sob and looked up at a young, thin girl whose face was disfigured by smallpox. After he spoke a few words of encouragement to her, she said, "Will He ever come again, the One who forgave the woman? I have heard that He will come again. Will it be soon?" Falconer replied that it would be soon. After sobbing again uncontrollably, she said, "Sir, can't He wait a little while? My hair isn't long enough yet to wipe His feet." This story of the woman with the broken heart strikes an universal chord. We all want to believe that someone understands how we got to this point in our life. We all want to believe that there is a merciful God whose nature and name is Love. We all want to believe our sins can be forgiven. Only Jesus can give us that assurance. He will give us that assurance if we will open ourselves to him today and each day of our lives.

God of all things, it isn't easy to be open, but help me to be open to your love found in Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-13T04:38:00.001-07:00

Unremitting Inventories

Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help.
Alcoholics Anonymous,p.84

The immediate admission of wrong thoughts or actions is a tough task for most human beings, but for recovering alcoholics like me it is difficult because of my propensity toward ego, fear, and pride. The freedom the A.A. program offers me becomes more abundant when, through unremitting inventories of myself, I admit, acknowledge and accept responsibility for my wrong-doing. It is possible then for me to grow into a deeper and better understanding of humility. My willingness to admit when the fault is mine facilitates the progression of my growth and helps me to become more understanding and helpful to others.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-13T04:37:00.001-07:00

Thursday, October 13, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Substance over Form

I'm learning that for a variety of reasons, I've spent much of my life focusing on form rather than substance. My focus has been on having my hair done perfectly, wearing the right clothes, having my makeup applied perfectly, living in the right place, furnishing it with the right furniture, working at the right job, and having the right man. Form, rather than substance, has controlled my behavior in many areas of my life. Now, I'm finally getting to the truth. It's substance that counts.
—Anonymous

There is nothing wrong in wanting to look our best. Whether we are striving to create a self, a relationship, or a life, we need to have some solid ideas about what we want that to look like.

Form gives us a place to begin. But for many of us, form has been a substitute for substance. We may have focused on form to compensate for feeling afraid or feeling inferior. We may have focused on form because we didn't know how to focus on substance.

Form is the outline; substance is what fills it in. We fill in the outline of ourselves by being authentic; we fill in the outline of our life by showing up for life and participating to the best of our ability.

Now, in recovery, we're learning to pay attention to how things work and feel, not just to what they look like.

Today, I will focus on substance in my life. I will fill in the lines of myself with a real person - me. I will concentrate on the substance of my relationships, rather than what they look like. I will focus on the real working of my life, instead of the trappings.

Upper Room

2011-10-12T04:20:00.001-07:00

Turning Back the Pages

Read Isaiah 55:6-13

The Lord said, "My word . . . shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

Isaiah 55:11 (NRSV)

I have reverted to an older copy of the Bible for my morning reading because the one I was using had become even more dilapidated than its predecessor. I come across notes I wrote in the margin several years ago and recall the circumstances that prompted them.
Most striking is to see how prayers for a loved one have been answered, how verses with a special relevance for a specific situation are meaningful now in a different context, and how God has led and provided for me in ways I couldn't have imagined at the time I prayed about some need.
This is the wonder of God's inspired message; it is relevant to human life in every generation. God knows the details of our lives long before events happen, but the path becomes clear to us only with time. Keeping a prayer diary or making notes enables us to look back and to see what has happened, rather than moving on without noticing what God has done.
Now I add fresh notes and dates in the margin of my Bible. I anticipate reading them in years to come and seeing God's hand at work.

The Author

Hazel V. Thompson (Somerset, England)

Thought for the Day

Reflecting on God's work in the past can help us to see God's hand in today.

Prayer

Dear God, help us to follow Jesus' example as we study the scriptures and apply their truth every day. Amen.

Prayer focus Those we have prayed for in the past

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-12T04:19:00.000-07:00

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4 NRSV Bible)

There is a story of a family who was on their way home from church. The son asked his mom, "Is it true that we are made of dust like the minister said tonight?" "Yes, darling," his mom replied.
"And is it true that we go back to dust again when we die?
"Yes, dear," his mother replied.
"Well, mom, when I said my prayers last night and looked under the bed, I saw someone who is either coming or going.
Life is a continuing process of coming and going. Are we ready for what life and death will bring us?
And Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power," (Mark 9:1).

Dear Jesus, may your kingdom come in my life, as I prepare my life for eternity. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-12T04:18:00.000-07:00

Curbing Rashness

When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.91

Being fair-minded and tolerant is a goal toward which I must work daily. I ask God, as I understand Him, to help me to be loving and tolerant to my loved ones, and to those with whom I am in close contact. I ask for guidance to curb my speech when I am agitated, and I take a moment to reflect on the emotional upheaval my words may cause, not only to someone else, but also to myself. Prayer, meditation and inventories are the key to sound thinking and positive action for me.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-12T04:16:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Being Gentle with Ourselves

During Times of Grief

The process of adapting to change and loss takes energy. Grief is draining, sometimes exhausting. Some people need to "cocoon for transformation," in Pat Carnes's words, while going through grief.

We may feel more tired than usual. Our ability to function well in other areas of our life may be reduced, temporarily. We may want to hide out in the safety of our bedroom.

Grief is heavy. It can wear us down.

It's okay to be gentle with ourselves when we're gong through change and grief. Yes, we want to maintain the disciplines of recovery. But we can be compassionate with ourselves. We do not have to expect more from ourselves than we can deliver during this time. We do not even have to expect as much from ourselves as we would normally and reasonably expect.

We may need more rest, more sleep, more comfort. We may be more needy and have less to give. It is okay to accept ourselves, and our changed needs, during times of grief, stress, and change.

It is okay to allow ourselves to cocoon during times of transformation. We can surrender to the process, and trust that a new, exciting energy is being created within us.

Before long, we will take wings and fly.

God, help me accept my changed needs during times of grief, change, and loss.

Upper Room

2011-10-11T04:43:00.000-07:00

The Wrong Spot

Read Psalm 89:1-8

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:2223 (NRSV)

I was on my way to the library to study. As I headed toward my usual parking spot, I noticed my car was missing. How could this be? I wondered. Myriad thoughts began running through my mind: Has someone stolen my car? If so, why is God punishing me? Why didn't God protect me? I believe God to be a faithful and loving God, so why did God let this happen to me?
I called my insurance company, then reported the incident to the police. The police officer told me that my car had not been stolen; it had been towed! I was sure I had parked in my usual spot, but actually I had parked illegally in the space next to mine.
My car was towed because of my carelessness; it had nothing to do with God's punishing me. Often I accuse God of unfaithfulness when, in fact, I make careless mistakes. God's love, mercy, and faithfulness are always with me through the bad times and the good times, whether I recognize that or not. When troubles come, it can be easy to doubt and begin to feel that God doesn't care. But God's love, mercy, and faithfulness do not change. They are constant -- and new every morning!

The Author

Dylan SeokJin Hyun (California, USA)

Thought for the Day

Think twice before accusing God of unfaithfulness.

Prayer

Forgive us, dear God, when we forget how much you love us. Keep your faithfulness to us ever sure in our hearts. Amen.

Prayer focus Police officers

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-11T04:41:00.001-07:00

"I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." (Luke 7:9 NRSV Bible)

The centurion in our scripture reading today was a man of faith. He didn't feel worthy of Jesus' presence so he sends a message to Jesus, "Do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof... But say the word, and let my servant be healed . . . ." Did you get that? "Just say the word, Lord, and my servant will be healed." When Jesus heard this, Luke tells us, he marveled at him, and said to the multitude that followed him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." And when those who had been sent returned to the centurion's house, they found the slave well. A good man or woman of God will have faith in Jesus Christ. I remember a story of the new husband who looked at the results of his bride's first attempt at cooking breakfast and said glumly, "It isn't like Mom used to make."
Disappointed, she tried all the harder the next morning, producing a nicely cooked, attractive breakfast. He looked at it and muttered, "It just isn't like Mom used to make."
This went on for a number of mornings in succession. She would go to great lengths, sure she had created a tasty, well-prepared breakfast, only to be greeted with "It isn't like Mom used to make."
Finally she became so exasperated with his cruel comments that she decided to rebel. She deliberately fried the eggs until they were hard rubber, virtually cremated the bacon, burned the toast black, and overcooked the coffee until it was almost unfit to drink.
Her husband sat down at the table, looked at the food, and beamed, "Hey! Just like Mom used to make!"
People will always have different expectations of us who follow Jesus Christ, but just like the centurion, we must have faith in the one who has the greatest of all expectations.

Loving God, help my faith to grow, as I do all I can, with Jesus' help, to fulfill your great expectations. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-11T04:40:00.001-07:00

Self-Restraint

Our first objective will be the development of self-restraint.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.91

My drive to work provides me with an opportunity for self-examination. One day while making this trip, I began to review my progress in sobriety, and was not happy with what I saw. I hoped that, as the work day progressed, I would forget these troublesome thoughts, but as one disappointment after another kept coming, my discontent only increased, and the pressures within my kept mounting.

I retreated to an isolated table in the lounge, and asked myself how I could make the most of the rest of the day. In the past, when things went wrong, I instinctively wanted to fight back. But during the short time I had been trying to live the A.A. program I had learned to step back and take a look at myself. I recognized that, although I was not the person I wanted to be, I had learned to not react in my old ways. Those old patterns of behavior only brought sorrow and hurt, to me and to others. I returned to my work station, determined to make the day a productive one, thanking God for the chance to make progress that day.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-11T04:39:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Recovery

How easy it is to blame our problems on others. "Look at what he's doing." . . . "Look how long I've waited." . . . "Why doesn't she call?" . . . "If only he'd change then I'd be happy." . . .

Often, our accusations are justified. We probably are feeling hurt and frustrated. In those moments, we may begin to believe that the solution to our pain and frustration is getting the other person to do what we want, or having the outcome we desire. But these self-defeating illusions put the power and control of our life in other people's hands. We call this codependency.

The solution to our pain and frustration, however valid is to acknowledge our own feelings. We feel the anger, the grief; then we let go of the feelings and find peace - within ourselves. We know our happiness isn't controlled by another person, even though we may have convinced ourselves it is. We call this acceptance.

Then we decide that although we'd like our situation to be different, maybe our life is happening this way for a reason. Maybe there is a higher purpose and plan in play, one that's better than we could have orchestrated. We call this faith.

Then we decide what we need to do, what is within our power to do to take care of ourselves. That's called recovery.

It's easy to point our finger at another, but it's more rewarding to gently point it at ourselves.

Today, I will live with my pain and frustration by dealing with my own feelings.

Upper Room

2011-10-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Great Cardiologist

Read Psalm 34:17-22

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

HAVE you ever had a broken heart? Most of us have gone through an experience that has left us hurt, discouraged, and deflated. Sometimes we feel almost physical pain. For me this feeling came at the unexpected loss of my father several years ago. Amid the shock and >sadness of his passing, I felt an ache within that I had never experienced before.
Why should God care about our pain? Doesn't God have better things to do? The answer lies in God's deep and abiding love for us. First Peter says, "Cast all your anxiety on [God], because he cares for you" (5:7). God loved us enough to send Jesus. And Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus (John 11:35), probably not so much for Lazarus as for his family in their grief.
When our heart is broken and our spirit is crushed, God draws us close to comfort us. No heartache or sadness is beyond God's understanding or compassion. Now as I recall the years I had with my dad, I do so with the joy of fond memories and the godly example he set for me. The One who created our hearts can mend them when they break. That is heart surgery no earthly doctor can perform -- only God!

The Author

Michael J. Reynolds (Florida, USA)

Thought for the Day

Write a note to someone facing great pain or loss, assuring them of your concern and prayers.

Prayer

You, O God, are our Great Physician. Nothing is too difficult for you. Bring your healing power to the brokenhearted this day, and grant us peace as we remember that you hold each of us tenderly in the palm of your hand. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer focus Cardiologists and their patients

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-09T07:14:00.001-07:00

"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven." (Matthew 16:17 NRSV Bible)

One day everything will be revealed. Paul wrote, "Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face." (I Corinthians 13: 12a) I look forward to that day, don't you? I look forward to having some of the pieces of the puzzle put into place. In order to save money, a college drama class purchased only a few scripts of a certain play and cut them up into the separate parts. The director gave each player his individual part in order and then started to rehearse the play. But nothing went right. After an hour of missed cues and mangled sequences, the cast gave up.
At that point, the director sat the actors all on the stage and said: "Look, I'm going to read the entire play to you, so don't any of you say a word." He read the entire script aloud, and when he was finished, one of the actors said: "So that's what it was all about!"
And when they understood the entire story, they were able to fit their parts together and have a successful rehearsal.
C. S. Lewis once said that the most frequently spoken word in heaven would be, "OH." As in, "Oh, now I understand." Or, "Oh, now I see what God's plan was." Or, "Oh, now I see the reason for the trial I went through."
In this world, however, we walk by faith, not by knowledge. But one day it will be revealed to us. We will be in the presence of the Father and the Son and the Spirit. How can we be in the presence of all three at the same time? It beats me, but as Paul says in another place, "I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him." (2 Timothy 1:12)
There are some answers that are too large for our brains to contain. But our greatest need is not understanding, but trust that God is with us. God is with us and will be with us until that day comes when all will be revealed.

Lord Jesus, I may not fully understand God's will or plan, but, with faith and trust, guide me in living for you. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-09T07:13:00.002-07:00

A Spiritual Axiom

It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.90

I never truly understood the Tenth Step's spiritual axiom until I had the following experience. I was sitting in my bedroom, reading into the wee hours, when suddenly I heard my dogs barking in the back yard. My neighbors frown on this kind of disturbance so, with mixed feelings of anger and shame, as well as fear of my neighbor's disapproval, I immediately called in my dogs. Several weeks later the exact situation repeated itself but this time, because I was feeling more at peace with myself, I was able to accept the situation-- dogs will bark-- and I calmly called in the dogs. Both incidents taught me that when a person experiences nearly identical events and reacts two different ways, then it is not the event which is of prime importance, but the person's spiritual condition. Feelings come from inside, not from outward circumstances. When my spiritual condition is positive, I am reacting positively.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday, October 9, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Self-Disclosure

Learning to gently reveal who we are is how we open ourselves up to love and intimacy in our relationships.

Many of us have hidden under a protective shell, a casing that prevents others from seeing or hurting us. We do not want to be that vulnerable. We do not want to expose our thoughts, feelings, fears, weaknesses, and sometimes our strengths, to others.

We do not want others to see who we really are.

We may be afraid they might judge us, go away, or not like us. We may be uncertain that who we are is okay or exactly how we should reveal ourselves to others.

Being vulnerable can be frightening, especially if we have lived with people who abused, mistreated, manipulated, or did not appreciate us.

Little by little, we learn to take the risk of revealing ourselves. We disclose the real person within to others. We pick safe people, and we begin to disclose bits and pieces about ourselves.

Sometimes, out of fear, we may withhold, thinking that will help the relationship or will help others like us more. That is an illusion. Withholding who we are does not help the other person, the relationship, or us. Withholding is behavior that backfires. For true intimacy and closeness to exist, for us to love ourselves and be content in a relationship, we need to disclose who we are.

That does not mean we tell all to everyone at once. That can be a self-defeating behavior too. We can learn to trust ourselves, about who to tell, when to tell, where to tell, and how much to tell.

To trust that people will love and like us if we are exactly who we are is frightening. But it is the only way we can achieve what we want in relationships. To let go of our need to control others - their opinions, their feelings about us, or the course of the relationship - is the key.

Gently, like a flower, we can learn to open up. Like a flower, we will do that when the sun shines and there is warmth.

Today, I will begin to take the risk of disclosing who I am to someone with whom I feel safe. I will let go of some of my protective devices and risk being vulnerable - even though I may have been taught differently, even though I may have taught myself differently. I will disclose who I am in a way that reflects self-responsibility, self-love, directness, and honesty. God, help me let go of my fears about disclosing who I am to people. Help me accept who I am, and help me let go of my need to be who people want me to be.

Upper Room

2011-10-07T04:54:00.001-07:00

Now and Later

Read Hebrews 12:1-11

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

OUR young sons are predictably and frequently focused on immediate gratification. They ask why they should eat the healthy food when they feel just fine after eating greasy options. They ask why they should save money for later when they could spend it on something they want right now. They want an immediate reward for good deeds, just as they expect immediate punishment when they witness injustice in the world. In essence, they wonder why we do not focus on the "now" but instead often consider the "later."
Often we hear that we should live in the present; sermons and songs remind us that there is no day but today. Yet Christians know that while we focus on what we can do for God today, our greatest reward comes beyond this physical world. So our obedience to God -- our discipleship -- is not something we do expecting immediate rewards. Rather, we follow the commands of God who brings the good -- in time.
Some seem to think that Christians should receive special blessings because we are in touch with God. But we know that blessings are not always material or measurable; nor are they always granted to us in this lifetime. Serving God is not always about now; sometimes it's about later.

The Author

Andrew C. Billings (South Carolina, USA)

Thought for the Day

Serving God is about now and about the future.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to do your will not for rewards but because it is right and good for us to do so. Amen.

Prayer focus Those without healthful food to eat

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-07T04:53:00.000-07:00

For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16 NRSV Bible)

There is a story of an elderly lady who was watching as a pair of golfers slice their drives deep into the rough. The golfers went in search of their errant golf balls. The grass was high, the trees were thick, and tempers flared as they looked in vain through the underbrush. The elderly lady observed all this from the front porch of her house. After the search had lasted nearly half an hour, she finally called out to them, "I don't want to bother you men," she said, "but will it be cheating if I tell you where the golf balls are?" As we look around us, we see people searching for lost values, for real meaning in life, and for hope. We must not keep silent. Fulfilling the Great Commission means sharing Jesus Christ with those around. It means speaking up and guiding them to forgiveness and salvation.
There are too many churches with impeccable credentials for orthodox theology whose outreach is almost nil. They are sound, but they are sound asleep. It is far too easy for the Church to become a sort of religious clique where Christians retreat from the world.
The church on the Day of Pentecost understood that its primary mission was to reach out to the world. The unity that they experienced and the prayers that they offered were only to help them more ably fulfill the task that Christ had given them to make disciples of all persons. They existed not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of a lost world.

Dear God, may I not loose sight of helping others to know you and your love. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-07T04:51:00.001-07:00

Daily Monitoring

Continued to take personal inventory. ...
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.88

The spiritual axiom referred to in the Tenth Step-- "every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us"-- also tells me that there are no exceptions to it. No matter how unreasonable others may seem, I am responsible for not reacting negatively. Regardless of what is happening around me I will always have the prerogative and the responsibility, of choosing what happens within me. I am the creator of my own reality.

When I take my daily inventory, I know that I must stop judging others. If I judge others, I am probably judging myself. Whoever is upsetting me most is my best teacher. I have much to learn from him or her, and in my heart, I should thank that person.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-07T04:50:00.001-07:00

Friday, October 7, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Letting Go of Naivete

We can be loving, trusting people and still not allow ourselves to be used or abused. We don't have to let people do whatever they want to us. Not all requests are legitimate! Not all requests require a yes!

Life may test us. People may seek out our weak spots. We may see a common denominator to the limits that are being tested in our life. If we have a weak spot in one area, we may find ourselves tested repeatedly in that area by family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Life, people, our Higher Power, and the universe may be trying to teach us something specific.

When we learn that lesson, we will find that problems with that area dwindle. The boundary has been set, the power has been owned. For now, the lesson has been learned. We may need to be angry with certain people for a while, people who have pushed our tolerance over the edge. That's okay. Soon, we can let go of the anger and exchange it for gratitude. These people have been here to help us learn about what we don't want, what we won't tolerate, and how to own our power.

We can thank them for what we have learned.

How much are we willing to tolerate? How far shall we let others go with us? How much of our anger and intuition shall we discount? Where are our limits? Do we have any? If we don't, we're in trouble.

There are times to not trust others, but instead trust ourselves and set boundaries with those around us.

Today, I will be open to new awareness about the areas where I need healthier boundaries. I will forego my naive assumption that the other person is always right. I will exchange that view for trusting myself, listening to myself, and having and setting healthy boundaries.

Upper Room

2011-10-06T04:21:00.001-07:00

A Lasting Legacy

Read 1 John 3:11, 16-18

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Galatians 5:6 (NIV)

A single woman with no children, I often wonder about my purpose in life. That I have no siblings and few extended family members only increases my feelings of purposelessness and loneliness. Fortunately, as a child of God, I have hope. God has given me a wonderful promise in Jeremiah 29:11, "'I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
Part of God's plan is for me to invest in the lives of others, just as others have invested in me: my parents who taught me to work hard and give generously, a pastor's wife who taught me to enjoy bird watching when I was a little girl, a Bible teacher who still takes the time to mentor me and pray for me even though she's very busy.
While I will never be blessed with children of my own, I have the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy through the children I serve as a social worker: helping them to see that they are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps. 139: 14). I listen as they talk about their struggles. I genuinely care about each one of these children. God promises me that the empathy and care I offer to them is not given in vain.

The Author

Mary McKheen (Michigan, USA)

Thought for the Day

When we invest in others in Jesus' name, we leave God's mark on the world.

Prayer

Dear God, help each of us to be the face of Christ to all the people you bring into our life. Amen.

Prayer focus Those searching for their purpose

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-06T04:20:00.000-07:00

Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? (Luke 24:38 NRSV Bible)

In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown and Linus are walking over the baseball field to make sure everything is ready for the new baseball season. Charlie Brown goes over to the pitcher's mound and says, "My pitcher's mound looks great." Then Linus and Charlie Brown go to the back stop, "Our ol' backstop seems to be in good shape." Charlie Brown asks, "How about the outfield?" Linus replies, "All mowed, Charlie Brown, it's beautiful! And we've raked the infield so it looks better than ever." Charlie Brown says, "Then all we have to worry about is the sound system." Linus says, "The sound system?" Just about that time Lucy belts out, "This year let's try to get the ball over the plate, you blockhead!" Charlie Brown concludes, "The sound system is still working." I'm not sure that Charlie Brown and Linus really believed the sound system was working, and the disciples also had a hard time believing that Jesus was alive. Luke says, "While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them 'Peace be with you.' They were startled and terrified, and they thought that they were seeing a ghost."
The disciples were having a hard time believing. The disciples were trying to sort out the meaning of Jesus' death and the reports about Jesus' appearances. Was it a hoax? They were not completely immune to superstition. Perhaps it was some kind of ghost. Suddenly it happened. Jesus himself stood among them. The disciples were startled and frightened. Then Jesus said to them, "Why are you troubled and why do doubts rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself..."
The response of the disciples is a sermon in itself. Luke tells us that they "disbelieved for joy..." It was simply too wonderful to be true. He was alive and he was with them--right there. It was too good to be true.
Some of us may have a hard time believing. Will we allow Jesus to take the doubts away?

Lord Jesus, please take away my doubts. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-06T04:19:00.000-07:00

Facing Ourselves

... and fear says, "You dare not look!"
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.49

How often I avoided a task in my drinking days just because it appeared so large! Is it any wonder, even if I have been sober for some time, that I will act that same way when faced with what appears to be a monumental job, such as a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself? What I discover after I have arrived at the other side-- when my inventory is completed-- is that the illusion was greater than the reality. The fear of facing myself kept me at a standstill and, until I became willing to put pencil to paper, I was arresting my growth based on an intangible.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-06T04:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 6, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Taking Care of Ourselves

It's healthy, wise, and loving to be considerate and responsive to the feelings and needs of others. That's different from caretaking. Caretaking is a self defeating and, certainly, a relationship defeating behavior - a behavior that backfires and can cause us to feel resentful and victimized - because ultimately, what we feel, want, and need will come to the surface.

Some people seem to invite emotional caretaking. We can learn to refuse the invitation. We can be concerned; we can be loving, when possible; but we can place value on our own needs and feelings too. Part of recovery means learning to pay attention to, and place importance on, what we feel, want, and need, because we begin to see that there are clear, predictable, and usually undesirable consequences when we don't.

Be patient and gentle with yourself as you learn to do this. Be understanding with yourself when you slip back into the old behavior of emotional caretaking and self-neglect.

But stop the cycle today. We do not have to feel responsible for others. We do not have to feel guilty about not feeling responsible for others. We can even learn to let ourselves feel good about taking responsibility for our needs and feelings.

Today, I will evaluate whether I've slipped into my old behavior of taking responsibility for another's feelings and needs, while neglecting my own. I will own my power, right, and responsibility to place value on myself.

Upper Room

2011-10-05T04:57:00.000-07:00

A Speed Bump

Read 2 Corinthians 4:8-18

Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV)

"MIKE, the biopsy came back positive," my doctor told me. "You have prostate cancer." The diagnosis left me confused and dazed. When I told my wife and children, they cried. Anxiety crept into my heart and eroded my peace of mind.
My 22-year-old son, aware of my apprehension, counseled me with these words, "Dad, look at it as a speed bump."
Cancer is only a speed bump on the highway of life? For days I weighed his words, and then I recognized there was some wisdom in them. The diagnosis of cancer caused me to "ease up on the gas pedal" -- to slow down, to consider what truly matters, to take a second look at everything I had taken for granted: my relationship with the Lord, my marriage, even the beauty of a moonlit sky.
A Bible verse has brought me a measure of comfort: "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Cor. 4:16-17). That verse puts earthly trials into perspective. No matter how severe the affliction or how long it lasts, when we look back from eternity, it will be only a bump on the road home.

The Author

Michael Lewis (Virginia, USA)

Thought for the Day

Troubles are only speed bumps on the highway of life.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, that our relationship with you can sustain us through whatever life brings. Amen.

Prayer focus Those coping with a serious diagnosis

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-05T04:55:00.001-07:00

Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." (Mark 1:23-24 NRSV Bible)

Our scripture reading today tells us about man who had an unclean spirit. Something had gotten into him that made him unclean in the eyes of those who surrounded him. He had what was called, in Jesus's time, an unclean spirit. I often have people ask me if there are really unclean spirits and demons. I think the terms of "unclean spirits or demons" used in the Bible are simply a personification of the unknown. Terms like "unclean spirit" give some identification to things that people didn't understand. When people where sick with some unknown disease, they were labeled as being possessed, especially people with mental illness. I am a firm believer that when we choose to do something wrong, that it comes from within us. It is a choice we make. When the census was being taken, I heard a story about a census worker who approached a house in her territory very slowly. There was a fence around the house and the worker being terrified of dogs, quietly opened the gate. She hurried up to the house and rang the door bell. She breathed a sigh of relief when the lady of the house opened the door. She felt safe now. But the lady of the house promptly bit her! The census worker actually required medical attention for the human bite.
What causes people to do such things? What causes someone to take their own life? What causes people to experiment with dangerous drugs? What causes nearly 50% of marriages to end? What causes us to do wrong things and move ourselves away from God?
When Michele and I got married, a minister friend of mine told us that children have a very important job in life. Their job to continuously test the boundaries. This statement has given us much relief too. But why do children always have to test the boundaries? They would receive so much more attention, support, and love, if they would simply follow the rules and butter us up a little bit by saying, "Yes ma'am and yes sir."
Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Our basic humanness was messed up with original sin in the Garden of Eden. Fortunately, there is someone who can help us to make choices that will bring us closer to God. That person is Jesus Christ.

Dear God, thank you once again for bringing Jesus into my life, so that I may be close to you. Help me to make good choices that will bring me even closer to you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-05T04:54:00.001-07:00

Yesterday's Baggage

For the wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a regular habit, until he is able to admit and accept what he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.88

I have more than enough to handle today, without dragging along yesterday's baggage too. I must balance today's books, if I am to have a chance tomorrow. So I ask myself if I have erred and how I can avoid repeating that particular behavior. Did I hurt anyone, did I help anyone and why? Some of today is bound to spill over into tomorrow, but most of it need not if I make an honest daily inventory.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-05T04:53:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Knowledge

Learn to let yourself be guided into truth.

We will know what we need to know, when we need to know that. We don't have to feel badly about taking our own time to reach our insights. We don't have to force insight or awareness before it's time.

Yes! Maybe the whole world saw a particular truth in our life, and we denied it - until we were ready to deal with it. That is our business, and our right! Our process is our own, and we will discover our truths at the right time, when we are ready, when the learning experience is complete.

The most growth-producing concept we can develop for others and ourselves is to allow ourselves to have our own process. We can give and receive support and encouragement while we go through this process. We can listen to others and say what we think. We can set boundaries and take care of ourselves, when needed. But we still give others and ourselves the right to grow at our own pace, without judgment, and with much trust that all is well and is on schedule.

When we are ready, when the time is right, and when our Higher Power is ready - we will know what we need to know.

Today, I will let myself and others have our own pace and time schedule for growth and change. I will trust that I will be empowered with insights and the tools for dealing with these insights, at the right time.

Upper Room

2011-10-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

Do Not Trespass

Read Deuteronomy 5:6-21

The psalmist wrote, "Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way."

Psalm 119:104 (NRSV)

ON a roadside board near a village are written these words: "Do not trespass or cut a tree in this area. Protect our environment." Some villagers ignored the sign. They trespassed, using shortcuts to reach the neighboring settlement; and they cut the trees to make fires. After weeks of torrential rains, the paths worn by those cutting through the area created a dangerous stream that made the road impassable.
Disobedience -- trespassing -- can cause damage and divisions in relationships as well. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3), their disobedience caused a rift between them and God.
God has given us the Ten Commandments. While meditating on disobedience and trespassing, I realized that the Ten Commandments are in our lives like signboards, showing us the right path to follow and the ways to avoid.

The Author

Charlotte Mande Kasongo (Western Cape, South Africa)

Thought for the Day

Obeying God is always the right path.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the Ten Commandments and for Jesus Christ, who shows us the way. Help us to obey your word and to follow you and you alone, as we pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."* Amen.

Prayer focus People in areas devastated by erosion

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-04T04:38:00.000-07:00

Jesus said, "Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." (Luke 24:39 NRSV Bible)

I remember a story I read of a Car and Carina who wished to honor the members of their court with a banquet. They sent out invitations and requested that the guests come with the invitations in their hands. When they arrived at the banquet the guests were surprised to discover that the guards did not look at their invitations at all. Instead they examined their hands. The guests wondered about this, but they were also curious to see who the Car and Carina would choose as the guest of honor to sit between them at the banquet. They were flabbergasted to see that it was the old scrub woman who had worked to keep the palace clean for years. The guards, having examined her hands, declared, "You have the proper credentials to be the guest of honor. We can see your love and loyalty in your hands." This woman's love and loyalty was seen in her hands. In the same way, we can see Jesus' love and loyalty for us in the nail prints of his hands and feet. Take a look at your hands. What do you see?

Dear God, thank you for the hands you have given me. Even if my hands are missing, you have given me a job to do. May my hands demonstrate my love for you and for my neighbors. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-04T04:36:00.001-07:00

A Necessary Pruning

... we know that the pains of drinking had to come before sobriety, and emotional turmoil before serenity.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.94

I love spending time in my garden feeding and pruning my beautiful flowers. One day, as I was busily snipping away, a neighbor stopped by. She commented, "Oh! Your plants are so beautiful, it seems such a shame to cut them back." I replied, "I know how you feel, but the excess must be removed so they can grow stronger and healthier." Later I thought that perhaps my plants feel pain, but God and I know it's part of the plan and I've seen the results. I was quickly reminded of my precious A.A. program and how we all grow through pain. I ask God to prune me when it's time, so I can grow.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-04T04:35:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Faith and Money

Sometimes, there is not enough money to make ends meet, much less afford any luxuries.

People may tell us to do a budget, and we chuckle. The expenses we need to pay for survival surpass the income.

We look at the situation; shake our heads, and say, "No way."

Many of us have had to live through these situations. This is not the time to panic; this is not the time to despair.

Panic and desperation will lead to bad judgment and desperate moves. This is the time to substitute faith for fear. This is the time to trust God to meet our needs.

Take life one day and one need at a time. Use your survival skills positively. Know your possibilities are not limited by the past or by your present circumstances.

Examine any blocks that might be stopping the flow of money in your life. Do you have an attitude, an issue, a lesson that might be yours to change or learn?

Maybe the lesson is a simple one of faith. In Biblical times, it is said that Jesus walked on the water. It is said His followers could, too, but the moment they let fear take over, they sank.

During financial hard times, we can learn to "walk on water" with money issues. If we make out a budget, and there's not enough money to survive and pay legitimate expenses, do your best, then let go. Trust your Source to supply your needs. If an emergency arises, and there is no cash to meet the need, look beyond your wallet. Look to your Source. Claim a Divine supply, an unlimited supply, for all that you need.

Do your part. Strive for an attitude of financial responsibility in thought and action. Ask for Divine Wisdom. Listen to God's leadings. Then let go of your fears and your need to control.

We know that money is a necessary part of being alive and living; so does our Higher Power.

God, bring any blocks and barriers within me concerning money to the surface. Help me take care of myself financially. If money is tight, I will dispel fear and learn to "walk on water" concerning finance issues. I will not use this attitude to justify irresponsibility. I will do my part, including letting go of fear and trusting you to do the rest.

Upper Room

2011-10-03T04:34:00.001-07:00

A Fortune in the Trash

Read John 13:3-17

In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 (TEV)

HERE in prison, I've been assigned a job. Armed with a trash bag and gloves, I pick up cigarette butts, food wrappers, and other even more unpleasant items. It's frustrating when other inmates -- and guards -- drop something on the ground without thinking, sometimes right behind me as I'm working!
One day as I was picking up trash, I saw a slip of paper stuck in a crack in the sidewalk. It was the fortune from a fortune cookie. I almost tossed it in my bag but decided to read it first. It said, "Your example will inspire others." Those words made me think.
When Jesus wrapped himself with a towel and knelt to wash his disciples' feet, he was doing a menial job -- something a servant would do. But more important was his attitude while he did it. Jesus was serving his friends, just as I serve both the guards and the inmates. What kind of example am I? Am I doing my assigned job gladly -- like Jesus -- or grudgingly? As I thought about those questions, my attitude toward my work changed.
That slip of paper is still tucked between the pages of my Bible. It is a constant reminder for me.

The Author

Bruce W. Glover (Florida, USA)

Thought for the Day

People are watching. What will my example inspire?

Prayer

Dear Guide and Teacher, help us always to remember that whatever job we have, we can show your love to those around us. Amen.

Prayer focus Those who dislike their work

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 15:38 NRSV Bible)

In our scripture reading today, Jesus was at the height of his popularity. People were following him everywhere he went. It was difficult for him to get away even to spend some quality time alone in prayer or with his disciples. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and people flocked to him. This attention excited the disciples. Jesus' ministry was booming. Everything was running smoothly. At least that is what the disciples thought. The disciples had been with Jesus for a long time. Now, Jesus felt it was time to tell them what would happen next. He gathered the disciples around him. He said to them, "[I] must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering, be killed, and the third day be raised." Wow! The disciples were not expecting anything like that. They just looked at each other, too shocked to say anything. The disciples thought Jesus would come to power, and they would hold positions of importance in his kingdom. They never thought he would suffer and die.
Leave it to Simon Peter to speak what the other disciples were thinking. Peter took Jesus aside and said, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." Peter spoke harshly to Jesus.
Has anyone ever said something to you that reminded you of someone else, or of another experience? When Peter rebuked Jesus, Jesus heard the voice of the tempter. trying to temp Jesus as he had done in the desert at the start of Jesus' ministry. Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block for me." Ironic that Peter the Rock was also a stumbling stone for Jesus.
Do we help or hinder God's work?

Dear Jesus, through your inspiration, may I do more to help than hinder your work. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-03T04:32:00.001-07:00

Serenity After The Storm

Someone who knew what he was talking about once remarked that pain was the touchstone of all spiritual progress. How heartily we A.A.'s can agree with him. ...
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,pp.93-94

When on the roller coaster of emotional turmoil, I remember that growth is often painful. My evolution in the A.A. program has taught me that I must experience the inner change, however painful, that eventually guides me from selfishness to selflessness. If I am to have serenity, I must STEP my way past emotional turmoil and its subsequent hangover, and be grateful for continuing spiritual progress.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-03T04:31:00.001-07:00

Monday, October 3, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Getting Through the Discomfort

Surrender to the pain. Then learn to surrender to the good. It's there and more is on the way.
—Beyond Codependency

Our goal in recovery is to make us feel comfortable, peaceful, and content. Happy. We want to be at peace with our environment and ourselves. Sometimes, to do that, we need to be willing to face, feel, and get through discomfort.

I am not talking here about being addicted to misery and pain. I am not talking about creating unnecessary pain. I'm talking about the legitimate discomfort we sometimes need to feel as we heal.

When we have surgery, the pain hurts most the day after the operation. When we do the kind of work we are facing in recovery, we are doing an emotional, mental, and spiritual surgery on ourselves. We're removing parts of us that are infected and inflamed.

Sometimes the process hurts. We are strong enough to survive discomfort and temporary feelings of emotional pain. Once we are willing to face and feel our discomfort and pain, we are almost to the point of release.

Today, I am willing to face my discomfort, trusting that healing and release are on the other side. Help me, God; be open to feeling whatever I need to feel to be healed and healthy. While I am doing this, I will trust I am cared for and protected by my friends, my Higher Power, the Universe, and myself.

Upper Room

2011-10-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

Focus!

Read Philippians 3:12-16

Paul wrote, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:14 (NRSV)

RECENTLY, my wife and I took a seven-day cruise from Vancouver, Canada, to three ports of call in Alaska. One day the sea was very rough, with up to 30-foot waves. The ship, which had been previously stable, began to pitch quite violently. It was difficult to move about the ship without holding tight to the handrails to avoid falling. Some passengers became seasick. I was in our cabin reading when I started to perspire and feel nauseated -- signs of seasickness.
Soon I remembered a remedy to help cope with seasickness: Go to the deck and focus on a point on the horizon, far from the boat. I did this and immediately began to feel better. Somehow, by focusing on something far away, I was less physically affected by the movement of the ship. The ship was still tossing, but I wasn't sick and somehow felt more stable.
In a similar way, we can become embroiled in our immediate circumstances and problems. As we cope with life's pressures, big and small, we sometimes forget to trust first in the Lord. Whenever we encounter heavy seas in life, we can know that by focusing on God's love and faithfulness we will be able to weather whatever storms come our way.

The Author

David Warne (Ontario, Canada)

Thought for the Day

To remain stable in life's storms, focus on God.

Prayer

Dear God, we turn to you to safely guide us. Help us to discern your will and to follow it. Amen.

Prayer focus Those who make their living on the water

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors... Those who do these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15:2-3,5 NRSV Bible)

I remember reading about a woman who a few years earlier was a new Christian. And as a new Christian, she listened to any person who proclaimed to be a Christian. Over time, though, she realized that not all people who claimed to be Christian offered a true message from God. As she matured in her faith, she had to learn to discern between those who spoke the truth and those who didn't. How do we find the truth about God and Jesus Christ? How can we discern who is teaching the truth about the Christian faith and who is not?
I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. Look at the example of Jesus. He valued people and little children and life itself. Jesus was concerned about truth and honesty. Even when Jesus was confronted by the people who opposed him, he treated them with respect and wisdom. Jesus' actions proved that he cared about people and their human situation. He healed people, fed people, gave people hope, and forgave people. Jesus also took a lot of time for prayer to discern God's will. Jesus humbled himself, as he relied on God and not on himself.
The most important truth test is the Bible, God's word to all of humanity. When we study and know God's truth from the Bible, then we can use that knowledge to test those who teach and share our Christian beliefs.

God of truth, it is not always easy to discern the truth. May I live more each day with a Christ-like and Biblical truth. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-02T05:31:00.001-07:00

"The Acid Test"

As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.88

I know the Promises are being fulfilled in my life, but I want to maintain and develop them by the daily application of Step Ten. I have learned through this Step that if I am disturbed, there is something wrong with me. The other person may be wrong too, but I can only deal with my feelings. When I am hurt or upset, I have to continually look for the cause in me, and then I have to admit and correct my mistakes. It isn't easy, but as long as I know I am progressing spiritually, I know that I can mark my effort up as a job well done. I have found that pain is a friend; it lets me know there is something wrong with my emotions, just as a physical pain lets me know there is something wrong with my body. When I take the appropriate action through the Twelve Steps, the pain gradually goes away.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-02T05:30:00.001-07:00

Sunday, October 2, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Coping with Families

There are many paths to self-care with families. Some people choose to sever connections with family members for a period of time. Some people choose to stay connected with family members and learn different behaviors. Some disconnect for a time, and then return slowly on a different basis.

There is no one or perfect way to deal with members of our family in recovery. It is up to each of us to choose a path that suits us and our needs at each point in time.

The idea that is new to us in recovery is that we can choose. We can set the boundaries we need to set with family members. We can choose a path that works for us, without guilt and obligation or undue influence from any source, including recovery professionals.

Our goal is to detach in love with family members. Our goal is to be able to take care of ourselves, love ourselves, and live healthy lives despite what family members do or don't do. We decide what boundaries or decisions are necessary to do this.

It's okay to say no to our families when that is what we want. It's okay to say yes to our families if that feels right. It's okay to call time out and it's okay to go back as a different person.

God, help me choose the path that is right for me with family. Help me understand there is no right or wrong in this process. Help me strive for forgiveness and learn to detach with love, whenever possible. I understand that this never implies that I have to forfeit self-care and health for the good of the system.

Upper Room

2011-10-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

Run with Patience

Read Hebrews 12:1-3

Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)

FOR years I've been quoting Hebrews 12:1 incorrectly. From memory I always wrote it, "Run with patience the race that is set before you." But the verse actually says us, not you. How could I have missed that? It means changing my whole outlook on how we come to be formed into Christ's likeness. I've been looking at personal growth as taking place in isolation, when in fact, it's both individual and corporate. And running the race corporately means we're all running together, so it isn't over until the last person crosses the finish line.
From now on, when I think of this verse, my mental picture of "running the race" will be a group of runners, not one person who finishes first. I will imagine mature leaders mixed among the runners, demonstrating how to improve. Encouragers throughout the group will urge on the members who are struggling. In the rear are the wise participants, assisting runners who've stumbled and fallen. Everyone will have a part to play in seeing others finish. And we will finish if all of us do our part.

The Author

Ellen Cardwell (California, USA)

Thought for the Day

Give thanks for your close companions on the journey of faith.

Prayer

O God, forgive us for being concerned only about our own growth and maturity as believers. Show us how we can help our sisters and brothers move toward the finish line. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Prayer focus Track-and-field athletes

Ron Newhouse

2011-10-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. (Psalm 62:5 NRSV Bible)

In his book, THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU, John R. Claypool relates the very painful story of the loss of their young daughter to acute leukemia. Very quickly upon diagnosis of this dreaded disease, his daughter had been given a medicine that enabled her to go into a remission. For some time she was almost perfectly normal. Naturally, this created many hopes for her family. Had the diagnosis been a mistaken one? Had she experienced the miracle of divine healing for which her father and so many others had prayed? It was not to be. All of these hopes came to an abrupt end, ironically, on Easter Sunday morning, when the old pains reappeared and she went into a severe relapse that involved hospitalization for some two weeks. Part of the time both of her eyes were swollen shut, and pain racked every part of her body. John Claypool reports that moving with her through those two weeks was an unspeakably draining experience. He found himself stretched in every way - physically exhausted, emotionally dissipated, his faith itself challenged as never before.
The worst moment of all, however, came one night when his daughter could get no relief, and she asked him, "When will this leukemia go away?" He answered, "I don't know, darling, but we are doing everything in our power to find an answer to cure it."
There was a long silence, and then she asked in the darkness, "Have you asked God when the leukemia will go away?" Her pastor/father hedged a bit and said, "You know, darling, how we have prayed again and again for God to help us." But she persisted: "Have you asked God when it will go away? What did He say?"
Claypool asks, "How do you respond to such childlike directness at a time when the heavens seem utterly silent...?"
There are some questions without an answer. When I as a minister go to the hospital or at the funeral home in an hour when someone has experienced a great tragedy, I do not go with ready-made answers. I will go to remind people of God's love and hope. I will pray with them, but I will not have all the answers. God's ways are not our ways! Some questions have no answers. Such times demand a measure of silence.

Dear Jesus, help me to walk faithfully in your footsteps, especially when God seems to be silent. I pray in your name. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-10-01T05:56:00.001-07:00

Lest We Become Complacent

It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe.
Alcoholics Anonymous,p.85

When I am in pain it is easy to stay close to the friends I have found in the program. Relief from that pain is provided in the solutions contained in A.A.'s Twelve Steps. But when I am feeling good and things are going well, I can become complacent. To put it simply, I become lazy and turn into the problem instead of the solution. I need to get into action, to take stock: where am I and where am I going? A daily inventory will tell me what I must change to regain spiritual balance. Admitting what I find within myself, to God and to another human being, keeps me honest and humble.

Language of Letting Go

2011-10-01T05:55:00.001-07:00

Saturday, October 1, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Be Who You Are

In recovery; we're learning a new behavior. It's called Be Who You Are.

For some of us, this can be frightening. What would happen if we felt what we felt, said what we wanted, became firm about our beliefs, and valued what we needed? What would happen if we let go of our camouflage of adaptation? What would happen if we owned our power to be ourselves?

Would people still like us? Would they go away? Would they become angry?

There comes a time when we become willing and ready to take that risk. To continue growing, and living with ourselves, we realize we must liberate ourselves. It becomes time to stop allowing ourselves to be so controlled by others and their expectations and be true to ourselves - regardless of the reaction of others.

Before long, we begin to understand. Some people may go away, but the relationship would have ended anyway. Some people stay and love and respect us more for taking the risk of being whom we are. We begin to achieve intimacy, and relationships that work.

We discover that who we are has always been good enough. It is who we were intended to be.

Today, I will own my power to be myself.

Upper Room

2011-09-30T04:45:00.001-07:00

No Fear

Read Psalm 23:1-6

The psalmist wrote, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."

Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

TODAY I visited a man who is dying. After reading Psalm 23 and John 14 at his bedside, I laid my hand on his head and prayed for him. His wife and daughter sobbed as they caressed his arm. He was unable to speak or open his eyes. The last time I had spoken with him he had confessed that he was afraid to die, so I emphasized the words of Psalm 23:4.
When we returned to the living room, his wife said, "You know, he might come out of this."
I was surprised by her statement. She meant that he might be healed and his health restored. I was thinking his death was a forgone conclusion. I said what I believe to be true, "It's in God's hands." His wife agreed.
Because everything that concerns us is in God's hands, we have hope for the future. Not only are this man's health and healing in God's hands; so are my family, finances, my drive to work, my future. The psalmist reminds us that all our times are in God's hands. (See Ps. 31:15.) Regardless of how good or how terrible life may seem, no outcome is a forgone conclusion. And whatever happens, God has promised to be with us.

The Author

Frankie J. Melton, Jr. (South Carolina, USA)

Thought for the Day

Because God is always with us, we always have hope.

Prayer

Dear God, we pray for those facing seemingly impossible and hopeless circumstances. May they find hope in your love and feel your presence today. Amen.

Prayer focus Those who are terminally ill

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-30T04:44:00.000-07:00

The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

(Isaiah 62:2-3 NRSV Bible)

There are two themes that dominate the writings of all the great prophets. They are Judgement and Hope. As far as the prophets were concerned, Israel's greatness as a nation did not depend on its prosperity or its military might. They knew that a nation's character was more important than its cash reserves. They did not buy the prosperity Gospel. Israel's wealthy elite might "have it all," but they dare not call it the blessing of God if their hearts and their lives were corrupt. Thus the prophets pronounced judgement on Israel's sinfulness. Without righteousness and justice there will be a day of reckoning, they thundered. Things will not continue like this forever. Their pronouncements of judgement, however, must be balanced by their messages of hope. They were not all gloom and doom. When Israel was hurting, when its people were still trying to sing the Lord's song in a strange land, when there was famine and pestilence and war throughout the country, the prophets again spoke up. Things will not be like this forever, they said. Hang in there. God will not forsake His own.
Judgement and hope, God is always with us. It is our job to welcome God into our lives, no matter what situation we face!

Loving God, help me to call on you and walk with you in all of the ups and downs of life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-30T04:43:00.001-07:00

The Circle And The Triangle

The circle stands for the whole world of A.A., and the triangle stands for A.A.'s Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service. Within our wonderful new world, we have found freedom from our fatal obsession.
A.A. Comes Of Age,p.139

Early in my A.A. life, I became employed in its services and I found the explanation of our society's logo to be very appropriate. First, a circle of love and service with a well-balanced triangle inside, the base of which represents our Recovery through the Twelve Steps. Then the other two sides representing Unity and Service, respectively. The three sides of the triangle are equal. As I grew in A.A. I soon identified myself with this symbol. I am the circle, and the sides of the triangle represent three aspects of my personality: physical, emotional, sanity, spirituality, the latter forming the symbol's base. Taken together, all three aspects of my personality translate into a sober and happy life.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-30T04:42:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 30, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Not a Victim

You are not a victim.

How deeply ingrained our self-image as a victim can be! How habitual our feelings of misery and helplessness! Victimization can be like a gray cloak that surrounds us, both attracting that which will victimize us and causing us to generate the feelings of victimization.

Victimization can be so habitual that we may feel victimized even by the good things that happen to us!

Got a new car? Yes, we sigh, but it doesn't run as well as I expected, and after all, it cost so much. . . .

You've got such a nice family! Yes, we sigh, but there are problems. And we've had such hard times. . . .

Well, your career certainly is going well! Ah, we sigh, but there is such a price to pay for success. All that extra paperwork. . . .

I have learned that, if we set our mind to it, we have an incredible, almost awesome ability to find misery in any situation, even the most wonderful of circumstances.

Shoulders bent, head down, we shuffle through life taking our blows.

Be done with it. Take off the gray cloak of despair, negativity, and victimization. Hurl it; let it blow away in the wind.

We are not victims. We may have been victimized. We may have allowed ourselves to be victimized. We may have sought out, created, or re created situations that victimized us. But we are not victims.

We can stand in our power. We do not have to allow ourselves to be victimized. We do not have to let others victimize us. We do not have to seek out misery in either the most miserable or the best situations.

We are free to stand in the glow of self-responsibility.

Set a boundary! Deal with the anger! Tell someone no, or stop that! Walk away from a relationship! Ask for what you need! Make choices and take responsibility for them. Explore options. Give yourself what you need! Stand up straight, head up, and claim your power. Claim responsibility for yourself!

And learn to enjoy what's good.

Today, I will refuse to think, talk, speak, or act like a victim. Instead, I will joyfully claim responsibility for myself and focus on what's good and right in my life.

Upper Room

2011-09-29T04:29:00.000-07:00

With Ease

Read John 10:1-10

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

CITY dwellers, my husband and I were traveling a dirt road in rural Quebec when we came upon a cart piled high with wood and drawn by a team of yoked oxen. As the cart approached, we parked, bringing out our cameras. The farmer walking beside his animals halted them until we took pictures. Then he signaled to his oxen to walk and led them off into the quiet countryside.
I took away a pleasant memory of that scene, the man and his animals traveling harmoniously together. Through long association, the oxen knew their master's voice, recognizing him as the friend who fed them and attended to them. He did not add his weight to their burden but walked beside them.
This made me think of burdens that all of us bear and the way that Jesus, our Master, bids us learn from him. Through association, we can come to know his voice. We come to know that we can depend on his loving care. He never asks us to carry a burden greater than we can bear but fits us with a yoke equal to our task. And he walks beside us. Our Lord's loving kindness then becomes our attitude that flows out to everyone we associate with.

The Author

Hazel Keenan Schrum (Ontario, Canada)

Thought for the Day

To see Hazel's pictures of the farmer and oxen, go to www.upperroom.org.

Prayer

Help us, Lord, to learn from you so that we will be better able to share your love with others. Amen.

Prayer focus To pattern ourselves after Christ

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-29T04:27:00.001-07:00

Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" He replied, "You have said so."

(Matthew 26:25 NRSV Bible)

I remember a story of a mother who heard a startling scream from her four year old son. She rushed into the playroom to see what was happening. There he sat while his baby sister yanked on his hair with all her might. "Don't be upset," said his mother. "She doesn't know that it hurts you."
Several minutes later, the mother again heard sharp screaming, this time from her little daughter. Once, more in the playroom, she asked her son, "what's wrong with the baby?"
"Nothing much," he said, "except now she knows that pulling one's hair hurts."
It is hard to understand the pain of some act without experiencing it. Jesus in our scripture reading today had experience the hurt and pain of betrayal. Judas had betrayed a friend.
It might be shocking to realize that Judas was hand-picked by Jesus to be a disciple. Jesus went off by himself and prayed fervently all night before selecting that inner circle of followers. Jesus obviously trusted Judas, for Judas was the group's treasurer. He bought the supplies. He paid the bills.
Judas may have been an idealist. It was he who protested when Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, used expensive ointment to anoint Jesus feet. "This ointment is worth 300 denari," Judas cried. "Why wasn't it sold and given to the poor?"
Many Christians have asked similar questions when it has come to spending money in the church. We must realize that there has to be a balance between feeding souls and feeding bodies. Judas may have been an idealist, but the writer of John suggests that Judas was not interested in the poor at all. He was a thief and had been embezzling money from the treasury.
Still, it is shocking that after all he had witnessed, after all he had heard, after all he knew about the Jesus, that he would betray God's son and his trusted friend.
How have we betrayed Jesus?

Dear Jesus, forgive me for betraying you. Thank you for giving me forgiveness through your death on the cross. Through my failures help me to help those in need. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-29T04:26:00.001-07:00

Exactly Alike

Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives.
Alcoholics Anonymous,p.89

A man came to the meeting drunk, interrupted the speakers, stood up and took his shirt off, staggered loudly back and forth for coffee, demanded to talk, and eventually called the group's secretary an unquotable name and walked out. I was glad he was there-- once again I saw what I had been like. But I also saw what I still am, and what I still could be. I don't have to be drunk to want to be the exception and the center of attention. I have often felt abused and responded abusively when I was simply being treated as a garden variety human being. The more the man tried to insist he was different, the more I realized that he and I were exactly alike.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-29T04:25:00.001-07:00

Thursday, September 29, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

The Importance of Money

We cannot afford to allow our focus in life to be money. That will not lead us into the abundance we're seeking. Usually, it will not even lead to financial stability.

Money is important. We deserve to be paid what we're worth. We will be paid what we're worth when we believe we deserve to be. But often your plans fail when our primary consideration is money.

What do we really want to do? What do we feel led to do? What are our instincts telling us? What do we feel guided to do? What are we excited about doing? Seek to find a way to do that, without worrying about the money.

Consider the financial aspects. Set boundaries about what you need to be paid. Be reasonable. Expect to start at the bottom, and work up. But if you feel led toward a job, go for it.

Is there something we truly don't want to do, something that goes against our grain, but we are trying to force ourselves into it "for the money?" Usually, that's a behavior that backfires. It doesn't work. We make ourselves miserable, and the money usually goes wrong too.

I have learned that when I am true to myself about work and what I need to be doing, the money will follow. Sometimes it's not as much as I want; sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised, and it's more. But I'm content, and I have enough.

Money is a consideration, but it cannot be our primary consideration if we are seeking spiritual security and peace of mind.

Today, I will make money a consideration, but I will not allow it to become my primary consideration. God, help me be true to myself and trust that the money will follow.

Upper Room

2011-09-28T04:34:00.000-07:00

Guarding the Heart and Mind

Read Philippians 4:4-9

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

I started the day with a heart as gloomy as the overcast skies outside. My brother was not doing well following major surgery. Our beloved aunt was unable to spend the holiday with us, and the news was full of stories of unthinkable evil.
Over my morning cup of tea, I reached for a Christian newspaper that had been delivered a few days earlier. I read of an army general who had met a young girl in Afghanistan. When she asked him for a pair of boots like those he wore, he was touched and later sent her family a package of shoes, blankets and other gifts. On retirement, he and his wife founded an organization that helps needy families in Afghanistan and plans to build a school in the girl's village.
As I read that story and others like it about everyday people helping those who are hurting, my attitude turned around. My self-defeating fixation on trouble was broken. Despite the many calamities that abound in the world, countless acts of compassion and courage change the world for the better. As we focus on good, the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds against being overwhelmed by adversity.

The Author

Julia Denton (Virginia, USA)

Thought for the Day

Ultimately, our happiness depends on what we pay attention to.

Prayer

Our loving God, help us to see and celebrate all the good in the world, and to join in such efforts whenever we can. Amen.

Prayer focus Those in the news today

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-28T04:32:00.001-07:00

We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.

(Romans 12:6 NRSV Bible)

It is important for us to understand that each of us have different gifts, and it is important that we use well the gifts God has given to us. There are no superstars in God's work. In God's perfect plan for the world each of us has different talents, interests and abilities. Not all of us can be teachers. Who would feed or clothe us? Whom would we teach? Not all of us can be farmers. Who would bandage our wounds when we are hurt? Our world functions as smoothly as it does because God has gifted us in unique ways. So it is with the work of the Kingdom. Each of us has a different spiritual gift. When we all use our gifts as God intends, then the world is blessed and our own lives are enriched.
All great leaders have recognized that to be effective, we must use the gifts God has given us. Grady Wilson for years handled evangelist Billy Graham's business affairs. We are told that some time back Wilson was faced with a decision about whether to move the Billy Graham organization to larger quarters. Unable to arrive at a decision, he called Dr. Graham for advice. Graham answered kindly but firmly. "I don't call you and ask you what I should preach," he said. "Don't call me about what you should do with buildings."
One of the secrets of Billy Graham's success has been in locating people with gifts and entrusting them to use those gifts. Each of us has different gifts. The key to successful living is not to grieve over the gifts we do not have, but to take those we do have and use them in honoring God.

Lord Jesus, Help me spend less time wishing for the abilities that I don't have, and help me to spend more time using the ones I do have! Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-28T04:31:00.001-07:00

ve Without Strings
Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics.
Alcoholics Anonymous,p.89

Sponsorship held two surprises for me. First, that my sponsees cared about me. What I had thought was gratitude was more like love. They wanted me to be happy, to grow and remain sober. Knowing how they felt kept me from drinking more than once. Second, I discovered that I was able to love someone else responsibly, with respectful and genuine concern for that person's growth. Before that time, I had thought that my ability to care sincerely about another's well-being had atrophied from lack of use. To learn that I can love, without greed or anxiety, has been one of the deepest gifts the program has given me. Gratitude for that gift has kept me sober many times.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-28T04:30:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Prayer

Here are some of my favorite prayers:

Help. Please. Don't.
Show me. Guide me. Change me.
Are you there?
Why'd you do that?
Oh.
Thank you.

Today, I will tell God what I want to tell God, and listen for God's answer. I will remember that I can trust God.

Upper Room

2011-09-27T04:48:00.000-07:00

Just Jesus

Read Romans 10:12-18

Jesus said, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Matthew 28:1920 (NIV)

RECENTLY I read a story about a group of Christians in China and how they approached evangelism. They had a great desire to teach the gospel and spread the news about Jesus to as many people as possible. "We can't afford any big programs or fancy gospel presentations," they said. "All we have to give people is Jesus."
In the first century, the church communicated the good news of Jesus throughout their world without fancy programs or elaborate equipment. They lived their faith and taught their neighbors and friends, and the church saw rapid growth. All they had to give people was Jesus. We can do the same. All we need is the willingness and the voice to share with others the "reason for the hope that [we] have . . . with gentleness and respect" (1 Pet. 3:15). If we look for opportunities to introduce our community and the world to Jesus and his life-giving message, we will find them.

The Author

Andy Baker (Tennessee, USA)

Thought for the Day

It doesn't cost money to share the gospel in our daily interactions.

Prayer

Dear God, help us to be willing to teach others about your son and the salvation he brings. Amen.

Prayer focus For greater willingness to witness

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-27T04:46:00.000-07:00

In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.

(Romans 7:4 NRSV Bible)

Some of us may remember the name Leon Spinks. In the cruel world of professional boxing, Spinks was once the world heavyweight champion. Sometime back, Spinks was quoted as saying this: "People were always asking, after I won the title, 'Who is Leon Spinks?'" Then he added, "It's a question I've been asking all my life. I didn't know who I was but I knew I wanted to be somebody...I was tired of being nobody." I wonder if anybody had ever told Leon Spinks that even before he was formed in his mother's womb, the eternal God knew who he was? That is the good news for the day. We matter. We are worth something. Let no one say that we are nobodies. This beautiful world was created for us. The infinite stars would not shine down from the skies if we were not here to behold them. Of even more staggering import is a cross that stands on a hill named Calvary. For it was there that the Son of the living God gave His life in our behalf.
In Sweden there is a saying that "in every man there is a king, and in every woman, a queen. If you speak to them as 'Your Majesty,' their majesty will come forth." May we all live like we are children of God!

Dear God, sometimes I don't do a very good job of loving myself. Remind me each day that I am your child! May I also treat everyone I meet as your child. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

Without Reservation

When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, ...
As Bill Sees It,p.37

While practicing service to others, if my successes give rise to grandiosity, I must reflect on what brought me to this point. What has been given joyfully, with love, must be passed on without reservation and without expectation. For as I grow, I find that no matter how much I give with love, I receive much more in spirit.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-27T04:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Temporary Setbacks

Sometimes, after we begin recovery, things in our life seem to get worse for a time. Our finances, our relationships, or our health may seem to deteriorate.

This is temporary; this is a normal part of recovery and healing. It may be the way things will be for a time, but not for long.

Keep working at recovery, and the trend will reverse. Before too long, things, and us, will be better than they were before. This time, the foundation will be solid.

God, help me trust You and recovery, even when I have setbacks. Help me remember that the problems are temporary, and when they are solved, I will be on more solid ground.

Upper Room

2011-09-26T04:17:00.001-07:00

Where Can I Go?

Read Psalm 139:1-12

If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night," even the darkness is not dark to you.

Psalm 139:1112 (NRSV)

FOR 15 years, I have watched as the darkness of memory loss has blotted out my sister's personality. Once wise and witty, she has sunk into silence. Her gift for making music has disappeared into inactivity. Her formerly smiling eyes are clouded and blank. She lives in the dim shadows of a world I cannot understand.
Recently when I visited my sister, she offered no response to my presence. She met simple questions with silence. The music from her CD player was a hollow reminder of how much of her life had been stolen by dementia. Preparing to leave, I told her I loved her and reached out to embrace her. She pushed me away. My eyes filled with tears of sadness and frustration.
Then, with the eyes of my spirit, I saw something amazing. The comfortable chair in which she was sitting was transformed into the loving lap of God. Its wooden arms became the protective and compassionate arms of Jesus, who loves her more than I do. As I battle doubt and loss, she is safely and peacefully held in the love of the Lord.

The Author

Mary Sue Rosenberger (Texas, USA)

Thought for the Day

Our deepest darkness is not dark to God.

Prayer

Dear Lord of light, shine into all our darkness of grief, loss, frustration, and helplessness. Light up our lives with faith and hope. We pray in the name of Jesus, the light of the world. Amen.

Prayer focus Families dealing with dementia

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-26T04:16:00.001-07:00

When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

(Luke 9:36 NRSV Bible)

There seems to be no escape from noise in our society. Wouldn't it be nice though, from time to time, to experience what Peter, James and John experienced on the mountain of the Transfiguration? They had gone away to a secluded spot for prayer with the Master. Doubtless they were not prepared for what happened there. It is interesting that on the two occasions when Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a secluded spot for prayer, the disciples fell asleep. It was these same three who nodded off while Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. This time when they awakened, however, they experienced something that they would never forget. They were not only in the presence of Jesus, but also two of the most significant figures of the Old Testament--Moses, representing the Law and Elijah, representing the prophets.
Doubtless the three disciples were stunned. Peter spoke up and declared, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." Good old Simon Peter. Putting in his 2 cents worth as usual. About this time a cloud--the symbol of God's presence--moved in and enshrouded them and they were afraid. A voice spoke from the cloud, "This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to Him!" When the voice had spoken and the cloud departed, Moses and Elijah had vanished. Luke tells us that in the face of this experience the three disciples kept silent and told no one anything of what they had seen.
What was there to say? There are some experiences for which words are inadequate. How can words express what you feel when you first hold your new-born child? What words are adequate to comfort one who has lost their life's partner? Even more strikingly, what can you say when you have been in the presence of the living God? Luke tells us that they "kept silence," and that is an appropriate response. Do you honor appropriate times for silence?

Dear God, help me to learn to be silent, and help me to use my silence to listen to you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-26T04:15:00.001-07:00

Our Children

The alcoholic may find it hard to re-establish friendly relations with his children. ... In time they will see that he is a new man and in their own way they will let him know it. ... From that point on, progress will be rapid. Marvelous results often follow such a reunion.
Alcoholics Anonymous,p.134

While on the road to recovery I received a gift that could not be purchased. It was a card from my son in college, saying, "Dad, you can't imagine how glad I am that everything is okay. Happy Birthday, I love you." My son had told me that he loved me before. It had been during the previous Christmas holidays, when he had said to me, while crying, "Dad, I love you! Can't you see what you're doing to yourself?" I couldn't. Choked with emotion, I had cried, but this time, when I received my son's card, my tears were tears of joy, not desperation.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-26T04:14:00.001-07:00

Monday, September 26, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Feeling Protected

Our task is not a naive one of feeling safe, of living and loving in a utopian world. One woman commented that our task is making ourselves feel safe while learning to live and love in a world that is unsafe.

We do not want to dwell on the danger for that gives power to the negative. Neither do we want to ignore them or pretend they don't exist.

If we were going to sunbathe, we would not be naive about the dangers from the sun. We know that harmful rays can burn. We would take steps to protect ourselves, so that we could enjoy the benefits of the sun.

That is our task in recovery.

This is what a woman, a helping professional, told me:

Picture a sunscreen surrounding you. Place it around yourself - not too heavy and thick so no light can penetrate, and not so thin that you are exposed to danger.

See yourself protected by a sunscreen that is effective. Make certain that the screen is open to the good. For a while, your screen was too heavy. It held back what you wanted. Now change it to let the good come through.

This is your screen for life and the world. See it. Imagine it surrounding you always. It wraps you in love, in comfort, in protection. No harm can enter. No negative energy can penetrate the screen.

Go in peace; go in safety. Go now, knowing you are protected. Go anywhere you need to go. The evil has been blocked; the goodwill comes pouring forth. You do not have to work so hard at protecting yourself. You can relax and enjoy life trusting that you are safe. Go without fear, for you are wrapped in love and protection. And you shall always be.

Today, I will envision myself wrapped in a shield that blocks the negative and harmful rays of the world, but it is constructed so that the good can enter.

Upper Room

2011-09-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

In God's Field

Read Ruth 2:1-9, 15-23

[Jesus] said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest . . . to send out workers into his harvest field."

Matthew 9:3738 (NIV)

DAILY I go to the garden looking for a few butterbeans to pick, shell, and put in the refrigerator with other shelled ones. When I have enough beans, I wash and cook them for dinner. This morning as I pulled on the tangled bean vines, I thought about the Bible story of Ruth's faithfulness in gleaning Boaz's wheat field to harvest enough grain for Naomi's and her meager meals. Like Ruth, I look expectantly over many plants to harvest a small amount of food.
Much as Ruth might have felt in being responsible for Naomi, I sometimes feel overwhelmed by a sense of my responsibility for God's ministry. I'm a member of a small church, and there are few of us to do what needs to be done. But picking beans in my garden this morning reminded me that I can be joyous in persistently working in God's field. Just as I glean my garden for those few beans, I will work in God's field, searching for God's children and seeking a bountiful harvest.

The Author

Ruth Miller (Louisiana, USA)

Thought for the Day

Every small effort can bring God's love into the world.

Prayer

Blessed Lord, guide us and open doors for us as we reach out to people in our communities who need to know Christ's love. Amen.

Prayer focus Small churches

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-24T04:44:00.000-07:00

Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.

(Luke 20:34-36 NRSV Bible)

Jesus was saying, in our scripture reading today, that you can't make assumptions about heaven on the basis of what life on earth is like. As wonderful as marriage is, you still can't compare it to the quality of relationship we will have in God's presence. Humorist Garrison Keillor in his delightful descriptions of the people in his fictional hometown of Lake Woebegone, tells how difficult it will be for some of us to deal with the kind of perfection we will find in God's presence.
He writes, "My people aren't paradise people. We've lived in Minnesota all our lives and it took a lot out of us. My people aren't sure if we'll even like paradise: not sure that perfection is all it's cracked up to be. My people will arrive in heaven and stand just inside the gate, shuffling around. 'It's a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be,' we'll think. We'll say, 'No, thank you, we can't stay for eternity, we'll just sit and have a few minutes of bliss with you and then we have to get back.'"
Some of us may react the way these people did, because heaven will be far more wonderful than we can ever imagine. It will be a place free of the heartaches of this life, and we will fully understand God's perfect love. Oh yes, we are not perfect, but we have been perfected through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Dear Jesus, please be in my life today and always, so that I may be made perfect in the sight of God. In your name I pray. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-24T04:42:00.001-07:00

Vigilance

We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: "Once an alcoholic, always an alcholic." Commencing to drink after after a period of sobriety, we are in a short time as bad as ever. If we are planning to stop drinking, there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any lurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol.
Alcoholics Anonymous,p.33

Today I am an alcoholic. Tomorrow will be no different. My alcoholism lives within me now and forever. I must never forget what I am. Alcohol will surely kill me if I fail to recognize and acknowledge my disease on a daily basis. I am not playing a game in which a loss is a temporary setback. I am dealing with my disease, for which there is no cure, only daily acceptance and vigilance.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-24T04:41:00.001-07:00

Saturday, September 24, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Allowing Ourselves to be Needy

We can accept ourselves as people who have needs - the need for comfort, love, understanding, friendship, and healthy touch. We need positive reinforcement, someone to listen to us, someone to give to us. We are not weak for needing these things. These needs make us human and healthy. Getting our needs met - believing we deserve to have them met - makes us happy.

There are times, too, when in addition to our regular needs, we become particularly needy. At these times, we need more than we have to give out. That is okay too.

We can accept and incorporate our needs, and our needy side, into the whole of us. We can take responsibility for our needs. That doesn't make us weak or deficient. It doesn't mean we are not properly recovering, nor does it mean we're being dependent in an unhealthy way. It makes our needs, and our needy side, manageable. Our needs stop controlling us, and we gain control.

And, our needs begin to get met.

Today, I will accept my needs and my needy side. I believe I deserve to get my needs met, and I will allow that to happen.

Upper Room

2011-09-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

It's All About God

Read John 15:1-17

The psalmist wrote, "I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.'"

Psalm 16:2 (NRSV)

RECENTLY I underwent knee-replacement surgery. Immediately afterward I made amazing progress. I was able to walk with help the next day, and without any help in two days. The other patients were amazed. But my speedy recovery was due in large part to the fact that I had very little pain. I assumed my lack of pain was a result of my physical strength, so I stopped taking the prescribed pain medication. The day after I quit taking the medication, I had so much pain I felt like I had been run over by a truck. I learned then that it wasn't my strength that had been allowing my progress as much as it was the pain medicine.
As I look back over my life, I realize that my relationship with God has been something like my recovery from that surgery. At times I have taken credit for some act of mercy, forgetting that God is the source of any goodness in me. The reality is that I have never done anything worthwhile -- loved any person, preached any sermon, led any program -- apart from the inspiration and power of God's Holy Spirit. God has been the source of any and all acts of goodness in my life. In the words of Psalm 16, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

The Author

Richard Ryley (New York, USA)

Thought for the Day

What good does God want to do through me today?

Prayer

Holy yet personal God, we give thanks that you honor us by working through us. Help us to see your hand of love in our lives, and help us to faithfully follow your lead. Amen.

Prayer focus People recovering from surgery

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-23T04:40:00.001-07:00

But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

(Psalm 41:12 NRSV Bible)

Rabbi Harold Kushner writes, "I have seen weak people become strong, timid people become brave, selfish people become generous. I have seen people care for their elderly parents, for brain damaged children, for spouses in wheelchairs, for years, even decades, and I have asked myself, where do people get the strength to keep doing that for so long? Where do they get the resources of love and loyalty to keep going? The only answer I come up with is when we are weary and out of strength, we turn to God and God renews our strength, so we can run and not grow weary, so that we can walk and not feel faint." In times of suffering, in times when our world seems to be crumbling, in times of our greatest need, we will receive strength from God. All we have to do is ask for it. God's strength is available for us. Not just at some time in the future, because we are not alone in this world. God is with us!

Loving God, there are times when I get really down and wonder where you are when I need you the most. Remind me in those moments that you are right by my side. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-23T04:39:00.001-07:00

"I Was An Exception"

He [Bill W.] said to me, gently and simply, "Do you think you are one of us?"
Alcoholics Anonymous,p.413
{Third Edition}

During my drinking life I was convinced I was an exception. I thought I was beyond petty requirements and had the right to be excused. I never realized that the dark counterbalance of my attitude was the constant feeling that I did not "belong." At first, in A.A., I identified with others only as an alcoholic. What a wonderful awakening for me it has been to realize that, if human beings were doing the best they could, then so was I! All of the pains, confusions and joys they feel are not exceptional, but part of my life, just as much as anybody's.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-23T04:38:00.001-07:00

Friday, September 23, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Tolerance

Practice tolerance.

Tolerate our quirks, our feelings, our reactions, our peculiarities, and our humanness. Tolerate our ups and downs, our resistance to change, and our struggling and sometimes awkward nature.

Tolerate our fears, our mistakes, our natural tendency to duck from problems, and pain. Tolerate our hesitancy to get close, expose ourselves, and be vulnerable.

Tolerate our need to occasionally feel superior, to sometimes feel ashamed, and to occasionally share love as an equal. Tolerate the way we progress - a few steps forward, and a couple back.

Tolerate our instinctive desire to control and how we reluctantly learn to practice detachment. Tolerate the way we say we want love, and then sometimes push others away. Tolerate our tendency to get obsessive, forget to trust God, and occasionally get stuck.

Some things we do not tolerate. Do not tolerate abusive or destructive behaviors toward others or ourselves.

Practice healthy, loving tolerance of ourselves, said one man. When we do, we'll learn tolerance for others. Then, take it one step further; learn that all the humanness we're tolerating is what makes ourselves and others beautiful.

Today, I will be tolerant of myself. From that, I will learn appropriate tolerance of others.

Upper Room

2011-09-22T04:33:00.000-07:00

Unforgettable Lesson

Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:7 (NRSV)

MY mother was a person of extraordinary faith. If I were to list all the lessons my mother taught me, the list would fill many pages. However, teaching me to pray the Lord's Prayer daily and to read the scriptures were simple yet profound ways to plant the first seeds that brought me closer to God. I am grateful that through the spiritual discipline she taught me, I learned to love and follow Christ.
I wonder how many children today are taught the important lessons of praying and reading the scripture. Today many children seem to learn how to use the computer and to play video games before they learn how to speak to God.
Child rearing isn't easy. We can show our gratitude for the people -- often our parents -- who have been our models of faith by living a life of prayer grounded in scripture. Praying and reading God's word are powerful tools that serve us not only in childhood but throughout our lives. And they are a legacy we are called to pass on to others.

The Author

Adalina Ros de Len (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Thought for the Day

Prayer and scripture are gifts for God's children.

Prayer

Creator God, thank you for watching over our first steps and for inviting us to follow your path of peace and justice. Amen.

Prayer focus Parents with young children

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-22T04:31:00.001-07:00

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

(Isaiah 60:3 NRSV Bible)

I'm reminded of two men who were talking about their New Year's resolutions. The first man said, "We decided as a family, we watch too much T.V. My son watches so much T.V. that he doesn't get his chores done. My daughter watches so much T.V. that she doesn't get her homework done. My wife watches so much T.V. that she doesn't get her work done." The other man said, "Well, what have you decided to do?" "Well, I have decided that I'm simply going to unplug the T.V. That is as soon as the football season is over!" God is counting on you and me to make our lives and the ministry of our churches great, but let's not wait. Let's begin today to discover the great possibilities ahead of us.
In our scripture reading today, Isaiah is speaking about the peace that will come to the nation of Israel. Peace won't come easily, but the reward will be great.
The same is true for us. We can fulfill the great possibilities of peace and hope, if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. Peace and hope won't come easily, but the rewards will be great. May we all do our part in fulfilling the great possibilities God has given to each of us.

Dear Jesus, please help me to fulfill all of the possibilities you have in store for me in doing your work. In your name I pray, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-22T04:30:00.001-07:00

A "Limitless Lode"

Like a gaunt prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, our pick struck gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. Father feels he has struck something better than gold. For a time he may try to hug the new treasure to himself. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product.
Alcoholics Anonymous,pp. 128-29

When I talk with a newcomer to A.A., my past looks me straight in the face. I see the pain in those hopeful eyes, I extend my hand, and then the miracle happens: I become healed. My problems vanish as I reach out to this trembling soul.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-22T04:29:00.001-07:00

Thursday, September 22, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Trusting Ourselves

Many of us believed that heeding the words of God or our Higher Power meant following rigid rules, an instruction booklet for life.

Many of us now believe differently. The rigid rules, the endless instructions, the exhortation to perfection, are not the words our Higher Power whispers.

The words of God are often those still, small words we call intuition or instinct, leading and guiding us forward.

We are free to be whom we are, to listen to and trust ourselves. We are free to listen to the gentle, loving words of a Higher Power, words whispered to and through each of us.

Today, help me, God; to let go of shame based rigid rules. I will choose the freedom of loving, listening, and trusting.

Upper Room

2011-09-21T04:42:00.001-07:00

The Place of Understanding

Read Psalm 119:97-104

Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? . . . God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells.

Job 28:20, 23 (NIV)

I can read the same book four times. I read first for the story, the second time for the way it was written, the third time to see if the story is as good as I remembered, and the fourth to find out if it is written as well as I remembered.
My husband, Michael, rarely wants to read a book twice. He says that this is one reason he has trouble getting something out of the Bible when he reads it daily. He has read the same scripture before, so his mind shuts off. He reaches the end of a chapter and discovers that he does not remember a single word.
Even though I don't mind rereading what I've read before, I am often too preoccupied with my daughters, the house, finances, or another book I am reading to get to the Bible. Reading it every day is difficult.
Together, Michael and I have found a way to read the Bible more diligently. We ask, "What is new in the passage we read?" No matter what need the scripture might have addressed a year ago, our needs have changed. We discover a thought for today. With this approach, we find in the Bible fresh truth and wise guidance.

The Author

Sheila J. Petre (Pennsylvania, USA)

Thought for the Day

God's word always offers a fresh message.

Prayer

Our Father, speak through the words of the Bible and help us to see how to apply their truth daily. Amen.

Prayer focus Literacy workers

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-21T04:41:00.001-07:00

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.

(Mark 13:31-33 NRSV Bible)

Douglas Mayor, a fifteen year old boy who lived in Missouri, had been feeling bad for several days. His mother, Donna, took him to the emergency room where blood tests revealed one of the most agonizing things a parent can learn about a child. Douglas was diagnosed as having leukemia. During the next forty-eight hours, Douglas endured blood transfusions, spinal and bone marrow tests and chemotherapy. For five days his mother stayed in his hospital room. Douglas became depressed.
During the first day in the hospital, Douglas said to his mother, "I thought you get flowers when you're in the hospital." One of his aunts called Brix Florist in St. Louis. His aunt wanted the sales clerk to be aware of the flower arrangement's significance. "I want the planter to be especially attractive. It's for my teenage nephew who has leukemia," she told the clerk. "Oh," said the salesclerk. "Let's add some fresh-cut flowers to brighten it up."
When the floral arrangement arrived Douglas opened the envelope and read the card from his aunt. Then he saw another card. The second card read: "Douglas--I took your order. I work at Brix Florist. I had leukemia when I was seven years old. I'm 22 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you. Sincerely, Laura Bradley." Douglas' face lit up.
Often it is the little extra things that we do that make a big difference. Loving things, encouraging things. Whether the world comes to an end today or billions of years from now, we want to be found not sitting on a roof-top looking crazily into the sky, but helping God's people.

Lord Jesus, it is so easy to get busy and forget about the important work you called me to do. May I use the blessing of you in my life to be a blessing to others. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-21T04:40:00.001-07:00

The Last Promise

We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Alcoholics Anonymous,p.84

The last Promise in the Big Book came true for me on the very first day of sobriety. God kept me sober that day, and on every other day I allowed Him to operate in my life. He gives me the strength, courage and guidance to meet my responsibilities in life so that I am able to reach out and help others stay sober and grow. He manifests within me, making me a channel of His word, though and deed. He works with my inner self, while I produce in the outer world, for he will not do for me what I can do for myself. I must be willing to do His work, so that He can function through me successfully.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-21T04:39:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Letting Go of Urgency

One thing at a time.

That's all we have to do. Not two things at once, but one thing done in peace.

One task at a time. One feeling at a time. One day at a time. One problem at a time. One step at a time.

One pleasure at a time.

Relax. Let go of urgency. Begin calmly now. Take one thing at a time.

See how everything works out?

Today, I will peacefully approach one thing at a time. When in doubt, I will take first things first.

Upper Room

2011-09-20T04:31:00.001-07:00

Trust Your Pilot

Read Galatians 3:2-9

Paul wrote, "I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that [Christ] is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him."

2 Timothy 1:12 (NRSV)

THE airplane I was traveling home on was enveloped in thick, dense clouds. All of us passengers had become silent as the aircraft bucked and heaved in the dark sky. As we neared the airport, I caught fleeting glimpses of the earth below, but I still felt a long way from home. I thought about the faith we passengers had placed in the training and skill of the pilot and crew. We had not hesitated to place our lives in their hands.
Thousands of people all over the world place the same trust in airline crews every day. We routinely place our lives in the hands of mere mortals. So why do we sometimes find it difficult to entrust our lives to the care of our loving God? Our supreme Pilot longs to safely guide each of us home. Can we find the courage to entrust our lives to our Creator?

The Author

Roland Rink (Gauteng, South Africa)

Thought for the Day

Where in my life do I need to trust God more?

Prayer

God of all the world, thank you for your loving care that always surrounds us, even when we are not aware of it. Help us to trust you now in this life and for the life that awaits us. As Jesus taught us, we pray, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."* Amen.

Prayer focus Those who fear flying

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

Follow me and I will make you fish for people.

(Mark 1:17 NRSV Bible)

When we first read the Bible about Jesus calling fishermen to be his disciples, we might ask, "Why did Jesus pick such ordinary, uneducated people to be his disciples." It seems that maybe Jesus would have been more successful if he had picked some well education leaders in the Jewish community and some Roman politicians in high places. Instead Jesus picked ordinary people. But there was a difference, Jesus saw the great potential in the ones he called. And more importantly, he saw them as important forces for building God's corporate management team and community. How do we see others, the homeless, and those in need? Do we feel sorry for them? Or do we see them with their great potential, as Jesus did.
I remember a few years ago going to a board meeting of a community outreach center. After the meeting, I met a man who served on the board. We would probably consider him to be a candidate for the services offered by the center. He and his wife live on a small social security income. They have medication bills of over $500 dollars a month. The man had to carry an oxygen tank around because of his many years of smoking. This man was in bad shape. It would be easy to look at that man and his wife and feel sorry for them. But they are not sitting around waiting for handouts or feeling sorry for themselves. In fact, they are the ones who are giving the handouts. They volunteered every week at the center that helped others. Even in their struggles, their Christian potential was being lived out.
We need to look at others and ourselves and see the great potential we all have in being an important force in God's community of faith. There are many ways in which we can fulfill our potential. The most important step to fulfilling our potential is by becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." That statement by Jesus says very clearly that his new disciples had the potential resources to serve God and God's people. He used their strengths and potential, as fishermen, to "fish for people."

Dear God, help me to be a good fish and a good fisher of your children. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-20T04:29:00.001-07:00

H.P. As Guide

See to it that your relationship with Him is right and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us.
Alcoholics Anonymous,p.164

Having a right relationship with God seemed to be an impossible order. My chaotic past had left me filled with guilt and remorse and I wondered how this "God business" could work. A.A. told me that I must turn my will and my life over to the care of God, as I understand Him. With nowhere else to turn, I went down on my knees and cried, "God, I can't do this. Please help me!" It was when I admitted my powerlessness that a glimmer of light began to touch my soul, and then a willingness emerged to let God control my life. With Him as my guide, great events began to happen, and I found the beginning of sobriety.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-20T04:28:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Spontaneity

In recovery, we're learning to let ourselves go! We're learning to be spontaneous.

Spontaneity may frighten some of us. We may be afraid of the loss of control involved with spontaneity. We may still be operating under the codependent rules that prohibit spontaneity: be good; be right; be perfect; be strong; don't have fun; and always be in control.

We may associate spontaneity with acting out in an addictive, compulsive, self destructive, or irresponsible manner.

That's not what we're talking about in recovery. Positive spontaneity involves freely expressing who we are - in a way that is fun, healthy, doesn't hurt us, and doesn't infringe on the right of others.

We learn to be spontaneous and free as we grow in self-awareness and self esteem. Spontaneity emerges as our confidence and trust in ourselves increase, and we become more secure in our ability to maintain healthy boundaries.

Being spontaneous is connected to our ability to play and achieve intimacy. For all those desirable acts, we need to be able to let go of our need to control others and ourselves and fully and freely enter into the present moment.

Let go of your tight rein on yourself. So what if you make a mistake? So what if you're wrong? Relish your imperfections. Let yourself be a little needy, a little vulnerable. Take a risk!

We can be spontaneous without hurting ourselves, or others. In fact, everyone will benefit by our spontaneity.

Today, I will throw out the rulebook and enjoy being who I am. I will have some fun with the gift of life, others, and myself.

Upper Room

2011-09-19T04:23:00.000-07:00

Jesus Understands

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"Where have you laid him?" [Jesus] asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept.

John 11:3435 (NIV)

I moved away from home to work in the city, which was a two-hour journey by car from where my parents lived. I visited them only every three months, but we were constantly in contact via telephone.
I was asleep in my new home when, at around 3:00 in the morning, I received a telephone call from my dad. His voice was broken and tremulous as he told me my mother had died.
"What?" I reacted. Only last week I was speaking to my mum, catching up on news, laughing and talking. How could she just go -- without my having a chance to say goodbye or tell her I loved her? The news was unexpected, and I was in a state of disbelief. The whole situation seemed unreal.
But family and friends surrounded me. We comforted each other through our tears.
Jesus showed us that grief is natural. The Bible tells us that when his friend Lazarus died, Jesus wept. My mum wasn't raised as Lazarus was; but because she had given her life to Christ, I know that she will be raised to new life on the day of resurrection.

The Author

Marlene Brooker (Essex, England)

Thought for the Day

Christ understands our grief and shares it.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for being with us in times of loss. Help us to sense your presence and comfort in every situation. Amen.

Prayer focus Those who have lost a loved one

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-19T04:22:00.000-07:00

And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him."

(Matthew 17:16 NRSV Bible)

There were times in the disciples' lives when everything seemed to go wrong. People rejected their message. Some even tried to kill them. There were times when they did their very best and no one responded. Sometimes they were run out of town. Being a follower of Jesus required patience and endurance. It still does. Faith in God is important when things get rough. I remember reading about an 86 year old woman who was flying for the first time in her life. She heard the following announcement over the plane's intercom: "This is your captain speaking. Our number four engine has just been shut off because of mechanical trouble.
However, there is nothing to worry about. We will continue our flight with three engines and will land in Chicago on schedule. Also, I have some really reassuring news for you. We have four bishops on board."
The 86 year old passenger, who had been listening apprehensively called the flight attendant. "Would you please tell the captain that I would rather have four engines than four bishops."
Where do we get the ability to keep going even when everything appears to be going wrong? From God and God alone. In times of need we receive help from beyond ourselves. Thus we persevere and live one day at a time.

Dear God, thank you for giving me the ability to fulfill what you have called me to do. Help me to be faithful to your call. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-19T04:21:00.001-07:00

Daily Reflections Sept. 18 - Loved back to recovery

Our whole treasured philosophy of self-sufficiency had to be cast aside. This had not been done with old-fashioned willpower; it was instead a matter of developing the willingness to accept these new facts of living. We neither ran nor fought. But accept we did. And then we were free. BEST OF THE GRAPEVINE, Vol. I, p. 198

I can be free of my old enslaving self. After a while I recognize, and believe in, the good within myself. I see that I have been loved back to recovery by my Higher Power, who envelops me. My Higher Power becomes that source of love and strength that is performing a continuing miracle in me. I am sober . . . . and I am grateful.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-19T04:20:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 19, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Apologies

Sometimes, we act in a manner with which we are less than comfortable. That's human. That's why we have the words: "I'm sorry." They heal and bridge the gap. But we don't have to say, "I'm sorry" if we didn't do anything wrong. A sense of shame can keep us apologizing for everything we do, every word we say, for being alive and being who we are.

We don't have to apologize for taking care of ourselves, dealing with feelings, seeking boundaries, having fun, or getting healthy.

We never have to change our course, if it is in our best interest, but sometimes a general apology acknowledges other feelings and can be useful when the issues of a circumstance or relationship are not clear. We might say: "I'm sorry for the fuss we had. I'm sorry if what I needed to do to take care of myself hurt you; it was not intended that way."

Once we make an apology, we don't have to keep repeating it. If someone wants to keep on extricating an apology from us for the same incident, that is the person's issue, and we don't have to get hooked.

We can learn to take our apologies seriously and not hand them out when they're not valid. When we feel good about ourselves, we know when it's time to say we're sorry and when it's not.

Today, I will try to be clear and healthy in my apologies, taking responsibility for my actions and nobody else's. God, help me figure out what I need to apologize for and what is not my responsibility.

Upper Room

2011-09-17T04:43:00.000-07:00

The Hot Dogs Are Ready

Read Luke 14:16-23

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let everyone who hears say "Come." And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

Revelation 22:17 (NRSV)

RECENTLY my wife and I stopped at a roadside craft show. At one end of the line of booths was a jeweler. At the other was a hotdog stand. In between, about a dozen booths each displayed its unique set of wares. As we looked at the jewelry, the young boy helping his dad in the booth loudly and repeatedly announced, "The hot dogs are ready!" Finally, his dad gave him some money and sent him off with his older sister to get lunch. Walking past the other booths, he announced to each vendor along the way that the hot dogs were ready (much to the embarrassment of his older sister).
The boy reminded me of the servants who were sent out into the highways and byways by their master to invite people to come to his feast. They continued as long as there was room.
We could learn from the young hot-dog messenger about anticipation, eagerness, initiative, and boldness. I had these traits as a new believer wanting to share my faith, but over the years I have lost some of that zeal. Still the invitation remains. The Master wants everyone at the banquet. We have to let the world know. We have to let each one we meet know that all are invited to Christ's feast.

The Author

Thomas Buice (Florida, USA)

Thought for the Day

Salvation is ready! Come and get it!

Prayer

Dear Lord, give us boldness and wisdom to tell people about salvation in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Prayer focus Craft artists

Ron Newhouse

2011-09-17T04:42:00.000-07:00

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

(Matthew 4:23 NRSV Bible)

I read a story this week of two young sisters who were waiting for services to begin at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Illinois. The older sister said to her younger sister, "Now when we sing 'Jesus Loves Me' then we go downstairs with the rest of the children!" The younger sister asked, "Why!"
The older sister responded, "So we don't fall asleep up here!"
I wonder sometimes if all of us don't need to be with the children so we won't go to sleep during worship. As you may remember, Jesus had the same problem with his disciples when he went off to pray.
But today, Jesus comes to awaken us through the proclamation of the good news.
Jesus went around the countryside preaching to the people about the great rewards of living for God. In our society today some people are asking if preaching and the church are relevant for such a modern world. With instant communications and T.V., the voice of the church is often hard to hear. I have had many people ask me why Jesus or God doesn't do something really dramatic to get peoples attention, so more people would believe.
When we read about the life of Jesus Christ, we can find many stories were Jesus did do some dramatic things to get people's attention. I have even read about and experienced some dramatic things that have called my attention to God's power and love. In fact, there are miracles happening around us everyday. But many of the miracles of today have become ordinary for us, so we don't notice them. But even if we discount everyday miracles, the standards of our modern society would still say that Jesus was very successful. Remember that Jesus started with just twelve disciples. Today, there are millions of believers.
Jesus comes to us to bring the good news, and our call is to listen. And when we do, we will hear about the great rewards of knowing God.

Dear Jesus, thank you for sharing the Good News with me. May I be a good listener. In Jesus name, Amen.

Ron Newhouse

A.A. Daily Reflections

2011-09-17T04:41:00.001-07:00

Freedom From Fear

When, with God's help, we calmly accepted our lot, then we found we could live at peace with ourselves and show others who still suffered the same fears that they could get over them,too. We found that freedom from fear was more important than freedom from want.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,p.122

Material values ruled my life for many years during my active alcoholism. I believed that all of my possessions would make me happy, yet I still felt bankrupt after I obtained them. When I first came into A.A., I found out about a new way of living. As a result of learning to trust others, I began to believe in a power greater than myself. Having faith freed me from the bondage of self. As material gains were replaced by the gifts of the spirit, my life became manageable. I then chose to share my experiences with other alcoholics.

Language of Letting Go

2011-09-17T04:40:00.001-07:00

Saturday, September 17, 2011

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

New Relationship Behaviors

We talk much about new relationship behaviors in recovery: allowing others to be themselves without over reacting and taking it personally, and owning our power to take care of ourselves. We talk about letting go of our need to control, focusing on self-responsibility, and not setting ourselves up to be victims by focusing on the other person while neglecting ourselves. We talk about having and setting healthy boundaries, talking directly, and taking responsibility for what we want and need.

While these behaviors certainly help us deal with addicted people, these are not behaviors intended only for use in what we call "dysfunctional relationships."

These behaviors are our new relationship behaviors. They help us in stressful relationships. They can help us get through times of stress in healthy relationships.

The recovery behaviors we are learning are tools - healthy relationship skills - that help us improve the quality of all our relationships.

Recovery means self-care - learning to take care of ourselves and love ourselves - with people. The healthier we become, the healthier our relationships will become. And we'll never outgrow our need for healthy behaviors.

Today, I will remember to apply my recovery behaviors in all my relationships - with friends and co-workers, as well as in any special love relationship. I will work hard at taking care of myself in the troublesome relationships, figuring out which skill might best apply. I will also consider ways that my healthy relationships might benefit from my new relationship skills.

Upper Room

2011-09-16T04:41:00.001-07:00

Liberating Lesson

Read Mark 12:41-44

Jesus said to [his disciples], " . . . This poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others."

Mark 12:43 (TEV)

OUR church holds a fall soup supper as our weather gets colder. Rather than setting a charge for the meal, we ask for a freewill donation. These donations go to help local services assisting those in our community who need help to pay heating bills, food, and clothing.
Last fall as the aromas of homemade chili and chicken-noodle soup filled the fellowship hall, I found myself quietly observing what people were dropping in the donation basket. Some would write a check, others dropped many bills, and some would give a single large bill. There were a few who gave only a few coins. This bothered me. I felt those people were taking advantage of us and getting a free meal. I went to the pastor, explaining my observations, and asked, "Do you think we should suggest a price for the meal?"
He replied, "We should not even look at the donation basket. A freewill donation means people give freely what they feel called to give. Maybe they need the fellowship as much as they need the soup."
His words were liberating. I was reminded of the story of the widow who gave all she had -- a few coins. Every time I serve a bowl of soup, I remember the lesson I learned that cold fall evening: I am not to judge others for what they give -- or don't give.

The Author

Maureen Reeves Horsley (Iowa, USA)

Thought for the Day

What others give is not my concern; what I give is.

Prayer

Dear God, help us give freely and not judge what others do. Bless all our gifts to the good of all your children. In Christ's name. Amen.

Prayer focus Church feeding programs